The Vampire and His Nymph
by ImHavinAGratTim
Summary: Jasper Hale had never been so hungry in his entire life, and he made a mistake. He drank human blood for the first time in years, and in his panic he left her body there. He was sure she was either dead or that he had just made a Newborn, but when she shows up perfectly fine, he is shocked. Jasper and his family want to learn about this strange girl, as she is not what they expect.
1. Chapter 1

Jasper Hale had never been this hungry in his entire life.

Not when he had first become a Newborn. Not when he was fighting in the Newborn Wars. Not even when Bella had cut her finger and he tried to attack her. He thought he felt true hunger in those times, but he was wrong.

Standing in a worn down but lively pub, watching the people dance and drink, smelling her standing at the bar, he knew what true hunger was. He hadn't eaten in days, a mistake he hasn't made in a while, and the girl standing at the bar had a scent that was as sweet as it was sickening. He ignored the news playing loudly on the TVs above the bar, he ignored the mingling scents of the dancing men and women, because her scent was simply seductive in every scent of the word.

And she knew. She could see that he was hungry for her, although Jasper could tell that she didn't understand what he was hungry for. He felt the waves of lust practically falling off of her, he could smell the sweat on the palms of her hands when he smiled at her. He could feel her pleasure when he would lean close to her and whisper in her ears, and he could tell there was a pool growing in her core every time he used his southern charm to invite her in. He was hungry, and that was all that mattered.

"Jasper…" she had called, and he couldn't remember when he had introduced himself to her, nor could he remember her name. Between leaving the busy scene at the front of the bar and moving to the back, between kissing her and pushing up her dress, between pulling down her panties and pushing himself deep inside her, somewhere in between he had forgotten all about her name. Where she was from, why she was drinking alone, her age, her likes; he had long since forgotten. All that he could pay attention to was the quickening of the blood in her veins as he quickened the movements of his hips.

He could smell her, and she smelled better and better as her emotions intensified, as his pace quickened, as he pushed deeper and deeper. She smelled just like her voice sounded, smooth like honey and sharp like century year old wine. He could feel her pleasure, her longing to reach her peak, and because of this he could not resist.

He knows he shouldn't have, but he leaned down and sunk his teeth into her. Her blood pooled in his mouth, and he drank it. He drank it like he had never tasted the blood of a human, and in some sense he hadn't; because her blood was sweeter and more pungent than anything he had consumed. It tasted like a rotting flower smelled, only getting sweeter the more it wilted and rotted away.

"Jasper." Her voice could not reach him, even though he was sinking his teeth into her neck and she was tugging at his hair. He could not stop drinking, even when he heard her heart slow and her breathing became more labored. Even when her blood became sweeter, like the scent of the flower that was wilting, even though she was wilting he could not stop.

"Jasper!"

This time, her voice reached him, but it was not the smooth honey he had remembered. He frowned, tilting his head, trying to think in between gulps of blood that he was taking in. He was lost, confused, because of her blood. Because of her scent. Because of her emotions. Because she was not scared.

"Jasper!"This time, it was not her smooth voice that called out, but a harsh, booming voice. And then everything was fading. He looked to the person the harsh voice belonged to. Emmett. His brother, Emmett, gazed at him.

Jasper looked around, and realized that he was in the cafeteria. He was no longer in the bar with the girl, but he was instead in the cafeteria at Forks High School. Sitting at a table with his family, like he usually was, surrounded by his brothers and sisters. He realized he must have been remembering what had happened a few days ago, that his mind must have accidentally wandered to the place he had been trying to avoid. It was a mistake, and a potentially fatal one at that. Jasper didn't want to think that he could have ruined everything his family had worked for all in one night, because of one girl.

He let his eyes gaze over at Emmett, who asked him if he was alright. Jasper smiled, nodding in response. He didn't want to disturb his brother's cheerful laugh, the one that travelled like the roaring of a bear.

"Jasper…" the voice came from his left, and led to his other brother Edward, who wore the face of worry. "What was that? Who was that?"

Jasper always forgot that Edward could read minds. It was helpful, but especially bothersome when it came to keeping secrets. As Jasper sighed, realizing the secret he had spent days trying to not let anyone know about, especially Edward, had finally gotten out. The entire table stopped and looked at Jasper, including Bella. Bella was sat next to Edward, so she heard his voice even though he spoke as low as he did.

Jasper had no choice, it seemed, so he simply sighed and closed his eyes, speaking quietly, "Edward, just let me explain…"

"Explain what, Jasper? Edward?" This time, Rosalie spoke, her sharp features furrowing together in a frown. She was scowling again, looking back and forth between her two brothers.

Edward never took his eyes off of Jasper, swallowing before speaking through a clenched jaw, "Explain what he was just remembering." He narrowed his eyes, his voice lowering so that the chance of anyone else hearing was eliminated. "I saw him remember biting someone. A girl. Jasper, what happened?"

And so, his secret was out. Jasper could feel how tense his family became, he could feel the emotions they were emitting. Anger, fear, betrayal. He sighed, looking up at all of them. He tried to emit calm emotions, his eyes traveling between theirs as he spoke. His voice stayed soft and calm, explaining, "Yes, I bit her. It was a newborn mistake. I hadn't fed in days, and I was…" There was a pause, a lick of the lips, and then a continuation, "I was weak. I seduced her, and then I…. I bit her. I drank her blood."

He watched their faces contort into frowns, and he could feel their confusion. Jasper was sure he was frowning at this point, too, and he looked down at the table. His arms were laid upon the table, his fist clenched as he struggled to talk, accepting his fatal mistake. "By the time I was able to control myself, I didn't know if she was alive or not. I panicked, and I ran. I left her there, I didn't want to risk making an even bigger mess."

"Great. Now, we'll have to move again! What were you thinking, Jasper?" Rosalie, filled with rage, hissed at him from across the table. Though Rosalie was supposed to be his sister, his twin in fact, she never really grew to become fond of him. Emmett had to grab her and try to calm her down, holding her back with his strong arms.

Before Jasper could answer, Edward was speaking, directing his attention to Alice. "Why didn't you see this? I would have known if you had a vision."

"I-I… I don't know. I didn't… I haven't seen anything like that. Jasper…" her voice followed her eyes and they both trailed back to Jasper.

Alice and Jasper were no longer dating. They had always known their relationship would be temporary, it would only be until they had found their mates, and recently they had just thought it would be best to split. Even though they had split up, Alice had felt they were still just as close. Jasper could feel her disappointment and utter hurt, and the look on her face only solidified her feelings.

"I haven't seen any missing people on the news, lately…" spoke Bella, whom Jasper had forgotten was there. Her heart was racing, but she stayed calm as she leaned closer to look him in the eyes. "That means they haven't found her body, yet. Which means.."

"There's a Newborn running around." Jasper continued, nodding to himself.

He could feel the eyes of all of his siblings on him. The emotions that came with were curiosity, fear, anger, betrayal, and they made him almost nauseous because of the way they were swirling around.

"Well… was she hot?" Emmett questioned, his signature smile adorning his face. He was trying to make light of the situation, and Jasper appreciated it. His other siblings did not, according to the scowls not directed at Emmett. "Hey, hey, I'm just asking! If we know what she looks like, then we can rip her head off when we see her."

Jasper agreed. He created a Newborn, a monster, and he didn't want anyone to pay for that mistake. He nodded, straightening up in his chair. He leaned on the table, looking at his family. "She was tall, about Rosalie's height. She was mixed, probably black and white, and her skin was tanned." He began to recall the memories he had of her face so that Edward could get a better image of her, but he couldn't remember it. He was so distracted by her scent that he hadn't paid any attention to her features. "She had big, curly hair. It went down past her shoulders. Her scent was… she smelled like whiskey. And honey. She was-"

Jasper stopped talking. He was hit with a wave of shock, one that he could not understand. The angry, aggressive emotions had left his siblings and had been replaced with bewilderment and shock as they looked at something just past his head.

"Jasper!" A voice rang out, dripping with honey.

As arms wrapped around his shoulder from behind, and he felt the warmth of a body leaning against him and the softness of the dark curls brush against his cheek and shoulder, he understood. He looked to his side, only to be met with freckles, red lipstick, and warm brown eyes.

It was her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Hiddaha**

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Hello, readers! Thank you very much for reading, commenting, and favoriting. Okay, so, first: I want to tell you guys something about the story.

The story has an overall third person perspective, but it usually hones in on one character. As I will be introducing who our mystery girl is, I wanted to say that the chapters may go back and forth between who the third person perspective focusses in on. It might be Jasper sometimes and then switch to the girl the other times; it really just depends on how that chapter is set up and the events that it holds. Also, the story is set in between New Moon and Eclipse, just to give you guys a time frame.

Second, I wanted to mention that this is the first story I have ever written, so please just give me some time to get everything correct. Really, I have no idea where this story will lead.

Also, if you guys have any input on how you would like the story to go, I'd be happy to take suggestion!

* * *

She had just arrived that morning. It was cold, and she was pretty sure she was breaking the dress code, but she stepped out of her father's car with her skirt and crop top sweater anyways. She ignored the looks she got from her father, just like she had ignored his wishes for her to have a good day by slamming the car door. The cold wind hit her face, and she could feel it bite her nose and cheeks as she made her way to the steps of the school.

It was her first day at the third high school she had been transferred to this year, so her tolerance was running low. Stepping up the stairs and into the school, she could already hear the whispers of the other students as she pulled out her earbuds. Even though she had a constant smile on her face, there were already rumors about how she was a bitch, how she had gotten kicked out of her old school because of fighting; the normal rumors that come with being the new kid. She would ignore them, turning down the hall to find the main office, because she didn't want to waste her time on people who didn't even want to get to know her.

Forks, she thought. It wasn't the strangest name for a town she had heard, but then again she had never even heard of Forks in the first place. The buildings were confusing, but she made her way to the main office. There sat a woman who looked like a Nancy, but apparently wasn't due to the name on the nametag that adorned her floral print shirt.

"Excuse me," she greeted the desk lady with a warm smile, one that blended with her welcoming brown eyes, "but I'm the new student and I was told I could get my schedule from the main office. Is this the main office..?"

She already knew it was the main office by the way the lady, whose name was Shelly as she saw on the nametag, beamed at her. "Yes! My, you must be Ha-... Hidad… Hi-"

"Hiddaha." The girl, Hiddaha, nodded. No one ever pronounced her name right, so she was used to people stumbling over it. Thanks mom, she thought as she continued, "It's pronounced Hiddaha, but if it's easier for you to call me Hida, that's fine."

Though the older woman had messed up her name, Hida found that she was very warm and very sweet. She gave her the schedule and went through it with her, even pointing out the easiest ways to get to each class. Hida couldn't remember if any of the other desk ladies at her previous schools would have done the same for her, but she was pretty sure they wouldn't have. Shelly led Hida to her first class for the day, one that she was already late to, which was AP Chemistry IV. Although Hida's credits hadn't transferred all the way, she was still placed in all senior classes because of her age and GPA.

After Shelly left, Hida spent a long time staring at the door to her class. She didn't want to go in, mostly because she didn't want to have to introduce herself again. I hate repetition, she thought to herself, but let's just go get this over with, right? With some coaxing, a reapplication of her red lipstick, and a few cuss words directed at herself, Hida was able to push through the door and into the classroom.

The entire class stopped and stared at her, like she had expected, and she scanned the room for who she assumed would be the teacher. It was a woman, her name was Mrs. Arnold on the schedule, and she looked like a mad scientist as she grinned at the new student. "Oh, hello dear! I was wondering when you would join us this morning. Come in, come in."

Hida stepped into the classroom, closing the door before crossing the room to stand before the teacher at her desk. The room smelled like chemicals, but she didn't really mind, smiling at her new teacher fondly and saying, "Sorry, I got a bit lost. I'm not very good with directions." This was a lie. Hida was very good with directions, when old office ladies weren't trying to get her entire life's story from her at the first conversation.

"Alright, now… You must be Hid- uh… Ha-"

"Hiddaha. You can call me Hida, if that would be easier for you."

"Right." Mrs. Arnold smiled at her. She hummed slightly, a song that Hida felt she was slightly familiar with, but then broke the rhythm with a clap of her hands. "Alright, Hida! Why don't you introduce yourself to the class? Tell us a little about yourself." She rose from her seat to go sit in one of the desks, smiling at her, nodding, "Alright, class, pay attention to the new student."

Hida's heart raced, but she kept her steady smile. She had done this many times in her life, especially in the past few months with all the moving her father was doing. "Hello. My name is Hiddaha. Hiddaha Juniper Charter." She smiled at the laughs she got from a few of her new classmates, nodding along. "Yes, I have a weird name. I blame it on my mom, she was a hippie and it never really left her."

"What does your name mean?" There it was. There was always one student who asked that question.

"Well, 'Hiddaha' means 'nymph' in Somali. It's a place in Africa, I think my grandmother came from there. 'Juniper' means 'evergreen.'" She smiled, laughing softly as she spoke the next part, "It's slightly ironic. Evergreens represent chastity, but then nymph has words that stem from it like 'nymphomaniac,' so.."

She relaxed, glad that her joke worked to make a few of her classmates laugh. She always pointed out the irony. Hida nodded when her teacher asked her to go sit, glancing around to find a seat. When she found it, she walked over and asked the girl who was sitting next to the empty seat if she could have it.

To Hida's surprise, the girl grinned at her. She was different looking, like Hida was, and she could appreciate that. The girl had short, choppy hair that poked out in a wild fashion. She was thin, petite. Hida could probably toss her if she tried hard enough. Her eyes reminded Hida of liquid gold, and her voice rang like a bell. "Sure! I'm Alice, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Alice." Hida smiled, setting her bag down and sitting down in the chair next to Alice. She looked over at the pale girl, staring at her for a few moments before deciding to speak her mind, "You're gorgeous, Alice," she laughed, "just thought you should know that."

Alice grinned, already deciding to like this girl. "I can tell you and I are going to be great friends!"

The rest of the class period was spent talking back and forth with Alice, answering her questions. Where did she come from? Florida. What was her race? African and German. What was her favorite color? Pink, for today. Hida found out only a little about Alice, learning that she liked fashion from the way she commented on her creme sweater crop top and navy blue, pleated skirt; even her thigh high boots. Alice said it was a good choice, that it matched with her over all feel, and Hida laughed because she had never had someone say that to her. They paid little attention to Mrs. Arnold and the lesson she had prepared for the class that day. Hida found out that Alice was only stuck in that class because they didn't have a higher class, and Hida respected Alice's intelligence.

* * *

The next few periods had been uneventful and Hida didn't meet anyone she had connected with like Alice, either. She had to reintroduce herself in every class, and she told the same joke about her name as she did in her first class; and every time, her classmates laughed. She found herself bored, and distracted. Between doodling on her paper and glancing outside, she simply could not focus. Alice had at least kept her distracted from thinking about him.

The boy she had met at the bar. Jasper. She wasn't supposed to be at that bar that night (she looked older, but she was still only 18), and as punishment from the universe, she had slept with a boy that she now couldn't stop thinking about. She remembered every detail about him, down to the way his lip twitched into a smirk. She remembered the way he smelled, and the way his cold body had felt next to her body which seemed to be on fire when he touched her. The way his honey curls seemed soft in her hand that could only seem to tug on them the entire night. The feeling of his teeth against her neck, the way it made her shudder, the way it sliced into her.

This was strange to Hida. She was no stranger to sex, and she was certainly no stranger to hooking up with people she couldn't even remember the next day. She liked to have sex, man or woman, and she didn't find anything wrong with indulging in something she loved to do. She loved to be praised and pawed, even if she didn't know the person. She didn't mind a one night stand because she preferred to leave no strings attached anyways. This was why Jasper was strange. She couldn't stop thinking about him, she couldn't stop remembering the way he felt against her, inside of her.

She was so distracted she nearly didn't hear the bell when it wrung, and if her classmate hadn't bumped into her on their way out, she wouldn't have budged. She grabbed her bag, her papers and pen, and walked out of the classroom. She made her way down the hallway, to the cafeteria. Lunch was her next hour, and as she thought about how hungry she was, her mind trailed back to how hungry Jasper was when he looked at her. Biting her lip, trying to avoid bumping into people, she shook her head and just kept striding towards the cafeteria.

Once she was there, she felt a bit lost. Alice had told her that she wanted to sit with her during lunch, but the cafeteria was so big that she had trouble. She looked around, recognizing some faces, hearing the whispers of other students as she stood in the middle of the large room. The rumors had only gotten worse since she had introduced herself to them, but she didn't really care. She had Alice, and that was all she needed.

She heard someone speaking and turned to look because it sounded like a bell ringing. Alice, she thought. It was surely her. Hida took a step in the direction and almost melted because of how fast she relaxed when she saw Alice. Alice was sitting at a table with five others, and Hida couldn't ignore how attractive they all were.

She recognized the one girl, Bella, from her Gym class. They had shared laughs over how terrible Bella was at playing tennis. To her side was a boy, who was as pale as Alice. Hida frowned slightly, noting that they were all as pale as Alice, and that they all had variations of golden eyes, aside from Bella. The boy next to Bella seemed to be angry with Alice, as did the rest of the people that were sitting at the table. The beautiful blonde girl and the boy who looked like a giant seemed to be a couple, and the blonde seemed to be held back by the giant who was grinning. He must be odd, thought Hida. He was the only one that was grinning.

She made her way to the table, getting closer, and that's when she noticed. The honey curls. The broad shoulders, the slightly muscular arms that came from them. She could hear his voice, the raspy, low way he spoke; the dash of southern charm in his drawl sending shivers down her spine. She was behind him now, ignoring the eyes of everyone at the table, even Alice. She found him.

"Jasper!" She couldn't keep herself from hugging him, from calling out his name. She needed to feel him again. Hida didn't have any clue why she needed him so bad, she just knew that she longed for him to touch her again.

She leaned over. Her warm brown eyes meet his amber ones, and she smiled. This was her Jasper. The one who held her at the back of a no-name bar. Her heart lurched and tumbled and spun, and she found herself staring at him again. She took in all his features, the ones she had memorized and couldn't stop thinking about. He was gorgeous, even with the shocked look on his face.

"Didn't think you'd be seeing me again, huh?" Hida peeled herself from his back and moved around him, sitting on his lap. His thighs were strong, like she remembered. He was stiff, obviously surprised to see her. She smiled, looking at him, beginning, "You really left me hanging there, Jasper. I'm not opposed to random flings, ya know, but I'd like to at least know the-"

"Why are you here?" Jasper stared into her eyes, searching for something. His voice was strong like his body was, and cold like it too.

Hida giggled, "What, did you think I wouldn't walk up to you? You and Alice over there are the only ones I know here, I can't help it." She glanced over his face again, determining he wasn't angry before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Besides, I wanted to see you again. Is that okay?"

Jasper seemed at a loss for words, and Hida took this chance to kiss him. Though it was a quick kiss, and a gentle one at that, she still found the time to taste his lips. They were sweet and cold against her own, and she found it hard to resist nipping at his bottom lip. She pulled away and looked at him, sighing softly when he still seemed to be in a state of shock. Their reunion wasn't as sweet to him as she had found it to be herself, but she was used to that. She expected too much from others.

"Ya know, if you were going to ask, I'm fine." At this, Hida pulled down the collar of her sweater, turning her head. Her hair fell, revealing the bite he had left. It had mostly healed. "You left a pretty big mark. I had to hide it from my father. Do you know how hard it is to hide a bite this big fr-"

"Hida." This time, it was Alice who cut her off. When Hida turned, Alice was smiling softly at her. "Jasper and the rest of us were all talking about you just now."

"Really?" Hida turned around in Jasper's lap, smiling at Alice. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself then. My name is Hiddaha Charter. Nice to meet you all." She looked around the table, humming. "And who might all of you be..?"

Alice spoke up, introducing them, "Hida, this is Edward and his girlfriend Bella." She pointed to the guy who looked angry earlier. He seemed calmer now. "Edward is my brother. This is Rosalie and Emmett, my other sister and brother." Rosalie seemed to already really dislike Hida, but Emmett gave her a toothy grin. She could tell she was going to like Emmett. "And the lap you're sitting on belongs to my brother Jasper."

"So, you're all siblings then..?"

Alice nodded, then elaborated, "Adoptive siblings. Rosalie and Jasper are twins, but the rest of us aren't blood related. Rosalie and Emmett are dating since they're not related."

Hida nodded, looking at Rosalie and Emmett. They made a cute couple, even though they were polar opposites. Edward smiled, and Hida was afraid for a second that he could read her thoughts, but that would be ridiculous.

"Well, Alice. Did you know that your brother here is a real asshole?" Hida grinned when she saw Alice laugh. "Seriously. He left me there! He got me all hot and bothered, fucked me, and then he just left me there. I've got the marks to prove it."

Though Emmett seemed to grin at Hida's crude language, Alice seemed to be more serious. "Did he hurt you? Do you feel okay?"

Hida noted how anxious Alice looked smiled at her, saying, "Thank you for worrying, Alice, but I promise I was just playing around. He bit me, but it's not like I'm not into that kind of thing. I feel fine, I promise." Hida grinned, "Why? Does he have some kind of disease? Am I gonna die now?"

The whole table seemed to relax at her comments, laughs falling from their perfect lips. Hida felt comfortable, even though she was sitting on the lap of someone that didn't seem fond of her. She felt like she could trust this group of people, like she could really get close to them. Even if Rosalie glared daggers at her.

"No." The answer came from Jasper this time, and Hida turned back to face him. He seemed to have become less cold, though his brow still furrowed together in what she imagined to be confusion. His jaw was still tense, as if she was hurting him. "No, you're going to be fine... "

"Well, I'm glad to know that. I'm glad you're finally talking to me, Jasper." She felt like her heart was going to explode with the way he was looking at her.

Hida jumped at the sound of the bell, and she cussed at herself under her breath for getting so distracted that she forgot to eat. She stood up, grabbing the bag she had almost tossed to the floor when she went to hug Jasper, and slung it over her shoulder. She didn't want to leave Alice and her family. She didn't want to leave Jasper. She wanted to know more about them.

"Alice, you'll still wait for me after school, right..?" Hida ignored Jasper, who stared at her like he could feel her desperation.

Alice replied with a nod, which made Hida smile. She turned to Jasper, who had stood up. She stared into his eyes and was overcome with a feeling of longing. Of more than just want, of simple need. So this is what love feels like, Hida thought, a smile adorning her lips.

She reached up, gently grabbing his face in her hands. Jasper seemed to shudder, but he didn't shy away. His face was cold in her hands, and it felt good to touch him this way again. She leaned up and he seemed to almost lean forward, because the distance between their lips was nonexistent. She kissed him with passion, something that she seemed to hold only for him. When he responded to her kiss, his lips moving to press against her plush ones, she felt like her body was exploding into flames. Her lips were warm and her mind was numb. Her legs felt weak, and there was a warmth that seemed to spread from her stomach and all over her body when he kissed her.

It was only a small kiss, and it only lasted a few seconds, but to her it felt like something more. She could see it in his eyes when they parted, and she knew he could see it in hers by the way he smirked. She could tell his family knew it by the way Emmett smirked and the way Edward laughed. Rosalie had stopped glaring at her enough to see it, and Alice held the largest smile on her face. Even Bella seemed to become pink in the face upon seeing their passion

As she left to go to her next class, he was the only thing she could think of.

He was hers. She was his. Hida knew it, now.

And so did Jasper.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: She Was His.**

Wow, this story seems to have really taken off, huh? I think that's great, considering I have literally no idea where I want to go with this. I have the initial conflict and everything figured out, but I don't have a resolution figured out whatsoever. If you guys have any suggestions, please let me know! I really just want to cater to you guys, so I'm open to changing the story as well.

Alright! Enough blabbing, let's get back to the story.

* * *

Sometimes, Jasper wished he had Edward's gift instead. Telepathy, understanding what a person was thinking. It certainly had it's advantages. It helped in a fight, you could get a lead on the enemy, and Jasper was all about taking whatever help he could get in order to outwit his enemy in battle.

This was not one of those times, however. As Hida left him and rushed to her class, Jasper was glad to be an empath. The warm feelings that she emitted made him crazy. He could feel her longing, something akin to love, but more need than want. Sure, there was confusion hidden beneath those feelings, but her feelings of love and desire overwhelmed him enough that he didn't question it.

Jasper knew. He knew before Alice could turn to him with her grin and tell him, he knew before Edward laughed and slapped him on the back in congratulations. He knew that Hida was his mate. This simple fact was enough to drive him insane, enough to make him almost pounce on her. Once the initial shock was gone, her scent was causing his mind to become glazed over with a feeling he hadn't experienced since the Newborn Wars. He wanted to ravage her, strip her of everything, tell her that she was his. He wanted to possess her, to make her lose her mind to him.

Edward noticed these impulses floating through Jasper's head. He was reminded of the way Jasper used to be, before he had joined their coven. Edward looked at Jasper, staring him in the eye. "Jasper, you need to calm down. You've already hurt her once, you saw the bite on her neck. I saw the way she passed out when you drank her blood." Edward grabbed Jasper's arm, a warning to keep away. "You need to calm down. Now."

He was right, Jasper knew that he needed to calm down. He didn't want to hurt her again. Jasper nodded, swallowing thickly, "I know. I'm sorry, her scent is… very hard to be around." He needed to calm down. "I need to stay away." He needed to stay away, for her sake.

His family agreed, nodding. He could sense their hesitance, and their somber mood. They wanted him to be with his mate just as much as he did, but she was human. She was human, and she could break if he so much as held her the wrong way.

At the thought of hurting her, Jasper growled to himself. He would not hurt her. He couldn't. He wanted to protect her, every fiber in his body seemed to come alive when he thought of that. He seemed to be reborn with his newfound purpose.

He couldn't stop thinking of her. He had calmed down since lunch, but as he sat in Calculus and ignored the teacher droning on about things he had been learning for years and years, Hida would not leave his mind. He clenched his jaw, tightened his hand into a fist, anything to keep himself from leaving class to go find her.

She was odd, he thought. He bit her, not even a week before, and she was not changed. He didn't know why she didn't change, and he was grateful that she didn't, but he was confused. He wouldn't have to kill her, but now he was being killed by the question that kept swimming through his mind: how was she still human? The bite had healed quickly, which he had summed up to the properties of his venom, but he didn't know why she hadn't changed. Why she hadn't become a Newborn.

What he did know, however, was that he could not make that mistake again. It pained him to think about staying away from his mate after he had just found her, but he would stay away from her if it meant saving her life. She might have made it out alive and with her humanity still in tact the first time, but Jasper would not risk a second time.

She was his. To love. To protect.

He waited after school, watching the doors. Hida was going to meet Alice after school, she had asked Alice to wait for her. He hoped that it was just an excuse to see him again, but he knew the way Hida felt about Alice. She seemed to find comfort in Alice, and even though the part of Jasper that was jealous screamed at him to take Hida away from Alice, he wanted her to feel comfortable.

This was another thing Jasper noticed about Hida. He could feel her emotions, yes, but only when they were strong. He could feel her desire for him at the bar, he could feel her intense lust when he touched her, and he could feel the intense trust she placed in Alice. But if her feelings weren't strong, Jasper couldn't feel her; he couldn't sense what she was feeling. It was like a wave of static came over her, and she stayed almost emotionless. It confused him. It scared him.

He was broken from his thoughts when Hida's scent hit his nose. He didn't need to look at the stairs to know that she was walking down them. Her scent seemed to get sweeter every time she was around him. It was addicting to indulge in, and he breathed it in deeply. It was like honey, and wine, and bourbon. He was again reminded of a wilting flower.

Emmett noticed Jasper take his deep breath. He was standing in front of Jasper in case he lost his cool again, and as Emmett grabbed a hold of Jasper's shoulder, Jasper appreciated his presence. Emmett was strong, one of the most powerful vampire he had met when it came to brute strength.

Jasper smirked at his brother, his breath falling out in a slight laugh before he spoke, "Thank you, brother. I'm not myself right now."

"I can tell, Jazz." Emmett had given Jasper the nickname 'Jazz' not too long after they had first met. "Don't worry, if you pull anything, I'll just knock your ass out." Emmett laughed, his signature laugh booming through the air, before continuing, "You know, bro, it's funny that you mention you're not yourself. It reminds me of when we first met you, when you were still the Major."

That's what Jasper was terrified of. He didn't want his tendencies from that time to resurface. He wanted to protect Hida, but some part of him, the part that used to be the Major, wanted to rip her apart.

Hida broke through his thoughts when she emitted a strong sense of want. He looked at her, watched as she came towards him and his family. She was staring at him, and as his golden eyes bore into hers, the feeling was only intensified. It was dangerous, feeling this much want. This much love. It bounced off of Jasper and was emitted in a denser form, bouncing back to her and making her heart jump.

Jasper didn't know what he was going to do if she came over to him, he didn't even want to think about the possibility of something going wrong. He tried to focus on anything else. Another scent, the weather, the feeling of Emmett squeezing his shoulder. He only continued to stare, he couldn't break free of his trance.

As he was about to take a step towards her, one that he knew might cause problems, she stopped. She looked to her left and Jasper followed where her eyes were leading. A truck, blue and rusted. There was a man inside, mid 50s, who had a scent like gasoline and cigarettes. Her father, he thought. He looked back to Hida, who was now looking at Alice.

Hida frowned and brought her palms together in front of her, mouthing an apology to Alice, smiling when Alice shook her head and mouthed what Jasper imagined to be 'no problem' back at her. Hida then waved at his family, smiling at them before catching Jasper's eyes. She smiled wider at him, and he couldn't help but smirk at her. He took pride in how in love his mate was with him

She blew him a kiss, one that Jasper wished he could have stolen from her lips before she hopped into the old truck. He watched the truck drive away with his mate, trailing after it even when she was long gone down the street.

He thought for a second that he could follow, but looked to Edward when he laughed. "Jasper, I know how you feel, but trust me. You don't want to do that."

Rosalie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Come on Jasper. I know you're completely pussy whipped, but try not to ruin everything our family has worked for just for your mate, okay?" She scowled at Emmett when he laughed, but playfully punched his arm as she got into their car.

Rosalie was right, Jasper needed to think rationally. He moved to the other side of the car, sliding into the seat and closing the door effortlessly. Edward and Bella went to his car, and Jasper felt a pang of jealously rip through his mind. Edward could control himself around Bella, so he could be with her.

As they left the parking lot and headed to their house, Jasper looked out the window. He wished he could follow Hida.

* * *

The next few weeks were hell for Jasper. While Alice and Hida grew closer, Jasper was forced to stay away from her. He didn't trust himself around her, so he decided to stay away from her. The pain and sadness this brought him was apparent to everyone in his family because of his gift of feeling and dealing emotions, and his family tried to cheer him up. They bought him things, books about the civil war and a new car, and took him on hunting trips to find bears to eat; but they knew that they couldn't help him. He was missing his mate, and they felt bad for him. They knew what it felt like to be apart from their mate for too long.

Hida was making it difficult for Jasper. He could feel how hurt she was that he ignored her, he knew that she was heartbroken every time he ignored her greetings or left early after school with Rosalie and Emmett. She was reacting and coping with her pain, and he knew that, but she was reacting promiscuously. He could smell other guys' scents on her, and he knew that she was sleeping with them. He also knew how guilty it made her feel, it practically fell off of her when she met his eyes. But he knew that he was doing this to her to protect her. At first, he asked Alice to keep an eye on her, but Alice simply refused. She said that it was spying on her best friend and that it was wrong, no matter what. Jasper was at a loss.

Jasper and his family tried to distract themselves with something else, mostly for Jasper's sake, but also because it seemed that trouble was starting. There had been murders in Seattle. No murderer. No suspects. The police said it looked like large animals had clawed the victims, but the Cullens knew better. They knew it had to be something more than just a few killings.

The killings became strange after a while. The police couldn't rule them out as a serial killer's rampage because sometimes the murders weren't consistent. Most of the time, the bodies were mangled and drained of most their blood; the wounds consistent with a Newborn vampire. Other times, the bodies were left untouched and laid out neatly, and the cause of death couldn't be found. Alice could see those killings, unlike the ones caused by the Newborns. She couldn't see who was killing them or even how they were doing it, but when the visions came on, she could see flashes of the victims' faces. She could see them smiling, laughing, and then there would be static. Then, she'd see their bodies being laid out, and she could see the area where their bodies were left.

They had gone to see the places of the bodies before the police got there, and each time they visited, there was nothing. There was no smell, no blood, no trace of their killer. It was bizarre, and Jasper was bothered by it. He was bothered because he could feel their emotions when Alice had visions of them. They were truly happy before their final moments, it was like they were experiencing true bliss, true ecstasy. It disturbed him, because he didn't know why. He didn't know how.

It was Friday and the only reason the Cullens were at school was because of the rain. It was cold, wet, and dreary outside. Rosalie and Emmett were gone hunting, so Jasper was stuck with Alice and Edward. Edward was waiting for Bella, but Alice was waiting for Hida. Jasper glanced across the parking lot, looking over all the kids. The smell of the rain was helping to drown out their scents, and the sound of the droplets hitting the ground turned their heartbeats into a dull hum so long as Jasper didn't concentrate so hard.

"Shit…" Alice hissed, and Jasper knew why she was cussing as soon as he looked up. "Hida's getting in trouble again…"

Hida was getting yelled at by another female student, Jasper thought her name was Marissa or something like that, no doubt because Hida slept with her boyfriend. The boyfriend in question had a smug look on his face, and Jasper growled at the pride that was dripping of his body. He was proud for cheating on his girlfriend and hurting her? Fucker, Jasper thought. Edward seemed to hear him as they were heading over, because his head snapped up and he laughed at Jasper.

Jasper could hear the girl. She was pissed, anger and hurt having blinded her as she yelled, "Stay away from my boyfriend, you slut!"

Hida had become static again to Jasper, he couldn't get a read on what she was feeling. She looked calm as she replied, "Shouldn't you be telling your boyfriend to stay away from me..? He's the one that lied and said he didn't have a girlfriend before we hooked up." Hida looked at the boyfriend in the eyes.

"That's a lie," Edward mumbled. Jasper didn't notice he had gotten so close. "She knew that they were dating. I can read her thoughts, she definitely knew."

Jasper's attention was drawn from Edward when he heard a thud. The sound of flesh meeting flash. He felt the rage that had filled Marissa, felt the impulse she had just acted on, watched as Hida reeled back. Marissa had punched her.

It took Jasper a second to realize that his siblings were holding him back, that his body had moved on it's own in an attempt to run over and crush Marissa, that he was growling. He wanted to protect his family from their secret being revealed, but all he could think about right now was the need to protect his mate. The Major in him was screaming, yelling for him to move, to kill. He felt his own animosity seeping and he didn't care. Someone had hurt Hida after he had promised to protect her.

Hida stayed calm, to Jasper's surprise, and this was the reason he stopped struggling. She was still static as she brought her hand to her face, touched the blood that covered her bottom lip. Marissa felt a twinge of regret under her pool of anger, but by that time it was overflowing and there was nothing she could do. Jasper needed to calm down so that he could persuade Marissa's anger to subside, but he couldn't. How was he supposed to?

"Stay the fuck away, you whore! Don't even look at Rodney, got it? Don't fucking talk to me or him, don't even think about us. You're disgusting!" Marissa's mouth was going to cause Jasper to kill someone. "The rumors were true, weren't they? You're a fucking whore!"

Hida didn't say anything, and she remained to appear calm. Jasper was amazed. His mate was truly amazing, he thought.

"I can't read her thoughts, they're all fuzzy… it's like there's a static over them, like… something is disrupting a signal." Edward frowned in confusion. Hida had somehow managed to confuse his entire family.

Hida seemed like she was going to let it go, and she moved to walk away, but stopped when Marissa opened her mouth again. "I bet the rumor about your mom leaving you with your dad is true, huh? She left you because she didn't want to face the fact that her daughter was such a bit slut." With a scoff and a lick of her lips, Marissa continued her taunting, speaking quietly, "I bet you fuck your dad, just like the rumors say. That's why your mom left." Marissa was trying to get a reaction out of Hida.

And it worked. Before Jasper had time to feel the intense ripple of anger and disgust that she had produced, Hida had turned on her heel and punched Marissa in the jaw, sending the girl to the ground. Her hand was bleeding, she had punched Marissa hard enough to not only knock her out, but also hard enough that he blunt force had split open her knuckles. Just as quickly as her anger had appeared, it disappeared and faded into static again. It was replaced with the heaving of Hida's chest, the ragged breath that was now leaving her swollen lip.

For a second, it was quiet. The boyfriend, Rodney, was in shock. Marissa was knocked out. Hida just stared. The rain erased any and all noise, it seemed to wash away the tension in the air. Hida was covered in the blood from her lips and knuckles and the white t-shirt dress (the one Alice had told her was as mistake to wear in the rain) was soaked through with rain and blood. Emmett would have been proud of her for fighting, if he was here. Jasper calmed down and stared at his mate, waiting for her to move. It wasn't until someone screamed to get the principal that she moved.

Jasper made eye contact with Hida, briefly, but he knew that he needed to help her. She jogged over to him and his family, smiling when Bella asked her if she was okay. She nodded, panting softly as she looked to Alice, "Alice, do you mind taking me back to your house?"

"Why?" Alice had already decided to take her home with them, but she was curious.

"I forgot my father was working the day shift today, so he won't be here to pick me up. And you mentioned your father was a doctor, right?" She looked down at her knuckles, giggling, "I'm pretty fucked up and going to the hospital would just cause my father more problems." She glanced back up at Alice, "Can you take me back with you so he can fix me up? I'll make it up somehow, I just-"

Alice sighed and rolled her eyes before grinning, "Oh, just shut up already and get in the car." She looked Hida up and down before turning to unlock the car, speaking over her shoulder, "This way, I have an excuse to dress you up. Not that I needed one in the first place."

"Yeah, I know you didn't need an excuse. You never do, Alice."

Alice grinned, opening the car door. She looked at Jasper, smirking at him now, "Jasper. Why don't you give your jacket to Hida? She looks cold."

Jasper had already removed his jacket and was holding it out to Hida when she looked at him. He wanted to wrap her up in it because then she'd smell like him, she'd smell like she belonged to him. He smiled at her, nodding to her. "Go ahead, ma'am. Take it, you look like you need it."

"Ma'am?" Hida cocked an eyebrow at him, but took the jacket and slipped it on. He could feel the comfort it brought her, and the slight hint of lust, too. "So now that you're finally not ignoring me, you're acting all formal with me? I don't supposed this is any of that southern charm you like to flaunt?"

He grinned. Yeah, he loved her. "I suppose it might be, ma'am."

"You confuse the shit out of me, Jasper. But I'm a sucker for that southern charm of yours, I gotta admit. Makes me feel all gooey inside, ya know." She slid into the car after opening the door, sitting in the middle and letting Jasper climb in next to her. She looked up at him, laughing softly, "You scare me, ya know that? I don't usually get scared so easily. Good thing for you that I tend to fall for bad boys, huh?"

Jasper wanted to respond, but he was hit with another problem. Her blood. He was sitting next to her in a closed space, and she had blood all over her. He couldn't stop staring at her lip. He wanted to lean down and kiss her, to lick up her blood, to nibble on her lip. She smelled delicious.

Hida seemed to notice this. Even though everyone was in the car with them, she bit her lip and spoke her mind softly, "Jasper, if you want to kiss me, then just do it." He could feel her desire for him in the way she spoke, it practically dripped off her words like the way the honey in her voice did. "I don't mind."

Jasper gave in. He knows he shouldn't have, but he gave in. He leaned in and kissed her and it was complete bliss. If his family wasn't there, he would have taken her right then and there. He could hear Edward laughing at his thoughts from the front of the car. He could also feel how tense they all became when Jasper deepened the kiss in search for the blood on her lips. He licked her bottom lip, slipped his tongue into her mouth and licked the blood from the inside. He knew it was dangerous, but she tasted too sweet to stop.

Her lust increased and his intensity mocked it. He bit her lip, careful not to break the skin, tugging on it before letting go. He wanted to be close to her, he wanted to touch her again, to feel her wrapped so tightly around him. Hida shuddered when she felt his lips press against the small area between her ear and neck, and Jasper swore he felt her desire spread across her skin in the form of goosebumps. He swept his lips along her throat, ignoring Alice telling him to stop, and felt the blood rushing below her skin. It was so close. He was so close.

All he heard was Hida gasp. He didn't realize he was biting her, he didn't hear the way Edward yelled at him to stop. He felt her blood start to invade his mouth and he wasn't sure he could stop. He was weak, even the voice in his head telling him to rip her apart was weak. Her blood was making him melt and he groaned against her skin.

He had to stop. Something clicked in his head and he knew he had to stop. So he did. He pulled away from her, pressed himself against the door as much as he could so he wouldn't be tempted to go back. He felt the anger Edward and Alice were letting off, he could feel their concern for Hida. Jasper licked his lips. Her blood was sweet, it had gotten sweeter since he last drank it. He had made the same mistake as he did last time, but this time he had stopped long before she could pass out.

Jasper looked at Hida, and she seemed to be fine. He was confused, and it only added to the confusion of everyone else in the car. She was panting softly and blushing, but she wasn't in pain. His venom wasn't doing anything to her. She wasn't changing and she wasn't dying.

"You… you are intense." Hida laughed, reaching up to touch her neck. "Shit… I'm gonna have to hide this one from my dad, too. You're a dick, Jasper!" She grinned at him. He didn't know what was going on. How was she okay?

"Hida, are you okay..? I'm sorry my brother… bit you. We'll have our dad look at when we get home." Alice was speaking to Hida, but she was glaring at Jasper. She was confused, yes, and she was glad that Hida was somehow not affected, but she was angry at Jasper for risking it.

Hida giggled, nodding, "Thanks. Yeah, I'm fine. Just not used to guys being so intense with me in front of their other family members." She turned to Jasper, smirking, raising her eyebrow again, "So… you're into bloodplay, huh?"

"You have no idea." Edward answered. They were all at a loss.

The car erupted into a fit of laughter. Jasper himself even laughed along. He could feel their relief, although the anger remained. He could feel their excitement, their curiosity. It felt good.

The car ride home was interesting, to say the very least. But meeting the parents would be another monster entirely.

Jasper would have to explain, and he didn't even know where to begin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Mother**

Oh my goodness, this story is growing so fast! I'm glad for the support, the favorites, and the follows. I didn't think it would do so well, considering this is my first story and I have a B in my English class.

When it comes to updates, I have a few things to say. One, I usually work on a chapter over the period of two day. I only write until I feel like I want to stop, because if I get too ahead of myself, then the story would turn south and I don't want that. Two, I can't write on Sundays. This is mostly because of school right now, so eventually that will probable go away once summer hits. But for right now, Sundays are for finishing all my procrastinated homework.

Anyways, let's go!

* * *

Hida wasn't the type of girl you brought home. She was the type of girl guys would hide in their closet when their parents got home, the type to crawl out the window at three in the morning. She didn't get to meet the parents, and even if she got the chance, she didn't want to. In her whole life, she had never had enough feelings towards someone in order to become a big part of their life. She did not love anyone, ever, except her mother. She did not have romantic feelings towards anyone.

But as she sat there in the back of their nice car, squeezed between her best friend and the boy who had just bit her, she felt alive. She felt excited, happy, curious. Love. That scared her the most. What was she supposed to do with her love? She didn't know how to express herself. Having sex was something she did for fun, to pass the time, it wasn't something she did to show her affections towards someone. She was scared that she couldn't show her love. She was terrified that she wouldn't be able to, after all the people she had given herself to.

And she knew she shouldn't be getting that nervous. She wasn't going to be introduced as Jasper's girlfriend, because she wasn't; she would most likely be introduced as Alice's friend. But the thought made her nervous, she felt like the bile in her stomach was going to spill out of her mouth just thinking about it. She had never been so nervous, scared, thrilled in her entire life.

She looked over at Jasper, watching him as he stared out the window. She wanted to touch him, he looked like a god even though he was sitting next to her in the same car. He looked like he shouldn't exist, like he was a marble statue; carved and come to life. She glanced over all of his features, taking them in for what seemed like the millionth time, and stopped at his hands. He was clenching them so tight it made his knuckles look impossibly more white that he already was.

She wanted to touch him, but she was afraid she would hurt him if she did. When he was around her, he always looked like he was in pain. There would be times where he'd look at her, and the feeling in his eyes made her shudder. In those amber eyes, she could see his pain, and she knew it was because of her. Maybe it was because he regretted sleeping with her. Maybe it was because she was sleeping with other men. She didn't know how she was hurting him, but she knew it was her fault. It always was.

Jasper looked at her, and for a moment she thought maybe he could feel how nervous and scared she was, because the next moment he was smiling at her. "Relax. Don't worry about meeting our parents. They won't bite."

Hida felt calm as soon as his eyes washed over her. She smirked, replying, "How do I know that, huh? If they're anything like you, I'll have to guard my neck." She laughed, but then looked at him, giving him a smile she hoped would communicate her appreciation. "Thank you, Jasper. I've just never met any of my friends' parents before. I'm usually hidden, parents tend to not like me."

"They're going to love you, Hida." Alice spoke up, grabbing Hida's hand gently. She was cold, like Jasper. "Trust me, I just know they will."

Hida glanced at Edward when he laughed, noticing the smile forming on Bella's lips. She knew there had to be an inside joke in there, but she didn't know what it was. Alice seemed to make a lot of inside jokes, and when she did Hida noted them somewhere in her brain to think about them at a later date.

"Holy shit!" Hida had glanced out the window.

The house they pulled up to was downright gorgeous. She waited for Alice to gracefully slide out of the car once they parked, and stepped out onto the grave. She ignored the rain, it had dulled to a slight drizzle, and took a few moments to take in the appearance of the house. The house was big, bigger than the houses she had lived in when she was little and her father still had money. It was white and very square, and in Hida's mind it was different than what she expected. It had multiple tall, wide windows on every side. To her, the house felt secure and open, it felt like a home should feel, not the way her own felt. It didn't match what she had felt from being around the Cullens, though. They were very closed off, they had secrets they didn't want to tell, stories they kept in the dark. It was a pleasant surprise, she thought.

Alice ushered her to the door, clearly excited to bring her home. The door was unlocked, so they all walked in one after the other, Jasper having held the door open for all of them. Hida heard the door click behind her, but she was too busy taking in the appearance of the interior of the house. It matched the house's exterior. Everything was white, and there was little furniture, leaving it open. It felt inviting.

Somewhere behind her, she heard Jasper chuckle. It made her heart swell. "What are you doing now…?"

She looked back at him from her crouched position. She had started to take her shoes off, and as she finished doing so, she explained, "Well, everything is so clean and neat. The carpets are white, so I figured you wouldn't want my dirty shoes to drag stuff from the outside on them." She had gotten them off and set them aside, placing them next to each other in their place by the door.

"You're an odd one, aren't ya?" Jasper held out his hand to her, smiling at her when she took it. He pulled her up, his hand never leaving hers, even after she was standing. He looked into her eyes, speaking fondly, "You never cease to amaze me, darlin'."

Hida felt herself melt, she felt her heart swell and burst. Jasper had never called her "darlin'" before. The petname made her feel gooey and warm, it made the blood creep up her neck and into her cheeks. She was a sucker for petnames, and the southern charm he liked to use against her so much was making it difficult for her to keep from smiling. She loved him, she loved the feeling of her hand in his, she loved his southern drawl, she loved his petnames. Her feelings were overflowing, seemingly from that one interaction.

Jasper seemed to understand how she felt, and he simply smiled at her. Hida found another thing she loved about him. He tugged on her hand softly, leading her forward, and that's when Hida realized he wasn't letting go of her hand. She smiled, looking at their hands. She could feel his love, even though his hands were very cold in hers. She knew he loved her. The thought thrilled her. It terrified her.

He led her to the living room, the room with the largest windows. Hida wondered for a moment what they would do if the sun was too bright, and she swore she could hear Edward smirk from the other side of the room. He was seated on the couch with Bella, the two were sharing stares and whispers. She wanted that to be her and Jasper, she thought.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Emmett's thunderous laughter could be heard from down the hall, and he was soon in the room. Rosalie followed suit, appearing to be just as displeased at the sight of Hida as usual.

Hida smiled at him, laughing nervously. "Thanks, Emmett." She waited for them to sit down before looking at all of them. They were beautiful, and they looked beautiful even when they were just sitting down; of course, they were sitting in their beautiful home. "Thanks for bringing me to your house, even with all the circumstances. If I'm ever a bother, please just-"

"Nonsense." Hida looked to see who had spoken and saw yet another beautiful woman. "We're very glad to have you, Hida."

The woman glided over to Hida, and she could see that the woman was older than Alice or Rosalie, but still young. She smiled at Hida, and Hida felt the warmth in her eyes. Her eyes were golden, too. "I'm Esme, Alice's mother. It's so glad to finally meet you, Alice wouldn't stop talking about you since she met you."

"All good things, I hope?" Hida smiled, looking at Alice and giggling.

"Very good things, yes." Esme kept her smile, pulling Hida into a hug.

Even though Esme was cold, like her children, the hug still felt warm and inviting. Hida felt very loved, simply from that one action. When the hug ended, Esme pushed Hida's large curls away from her face and smiled, gingerly touching the wounds to her face. Her cold fingers felt good on her swollen cheek.

"You're very beautiful, Hida."

Hida was shocked by her comment. Esme thought Hida was beautiful? Before Hida could interject, Esme looked at Alice, speaking gently, "Alice, will you see if we have any clothes that might fit Hida?"

Alice grinned, getting up, bouncing slightly on her feet. She reminded Hida of a ballerina, she was graceful and peppy. "Sure thing! I've been waiting to dress her up." She started to walk towards the staircase that connected to the hallway, humming, "Rosalie, I might have to look through your clothes. I don't think anything of mine will fit her."

"You better not!" Rosalie got up and chased Alice, who was already running up the stairs. It was amusing to watch, and Alice could be heard giggling up the stairwell.

Esme laughed softly. It sounded like an angel laughing, and it reminded her of the warmth and comfort of hot chocolate. She led her to the chair on the other side of the room, near the window. "Go ahead and sit here, sweetheart. My husband will be down soon to check you." Esme smiled at Hida, clapping her hands together in excitement, "I'll go make snacks!"

Hida smiled after Esme, watching her walk off to what she imagined was the kitchen. Hida looked to Jasper, laughing, "Your mother is amazing. She's so sweet! She reminds me of my mother, except my mom was a bit stubborn." Hida missed her mother.

"Hida." A man with blonde hair walked up, another beautiful person. He smiled at Hida, offering his hand, "Dr. Cullen. Please, call me Carlisle."

Carlisle was an old name, Hida thought. Now that she thought about it, they all had old names. She smiled, grabbing his hand gently and shaking it, looking him in the eye. Golden eyes. "Nice to meet you, Carlisle. Thank you for agreeing to look after me. I owe you a favor for this."

Carlisle set his medical bag down, shaking his head. He got on one knee in front of her, gently grabbing her chin so he could see her lip. Cold hands. He spoke softly, as if he were thinking about something else while talking. "You owe me nothing. This is my job. Now, let's see what we can do, shall we?"

* * *

Carlisle worked on Hida's face diligently. There wasn't much to work with, she had simply just busted her lip when Marissa punched her, but he wanted to make sure it was cleaned and covered. Hida sat there patiently, playing with the clothes that Alice had brought her. It was a soft sweater and a pair of leggings, incredibly simple compared to some of the things Rosalie usually wore. She assumed this was the only outfit Rosalie would let her wear, seeing as how she seemed to hate her.

"So, Hida. Tell me about yourself." Carlie continued to clean her lip, it had split a bit deeper than Hida had originally thought. "Your full name is Hiddaha, right? That's Somali, isn't it?"

Hida was impressed, and she smiled, nodding, "I must say, Doc, you know your stuff." She stopped smiling so the cut wouldn't stretch more than it already had, but continued speaking, "My mother gave the name to me. She was born in East Africa, but moved to America for college. She met my father and when she had me, she wanted a name that reminded her of her home."

Carlisle stopped to listen to her talk, smiling lightly at her. "It's a beautiful name. So, Hida, tell me. How did you meet Jasper and Alice?" He laughed. "Neither of them will tell me."

Hida snorted in response, saying "Well, Alice and I met in class. We have Chemistry together and I sit next to her." She glanced to Jasper before looking back at Carlisle, smiling. "Jasper and I met at a bar. We hooked up in the back." She wasn't going to lie to him.

Emmett was the first to burst into his loud laugh, not even stopping when Rosalie hit him on the arm. Edward tried to hide his laugh in Bella's neck, but it was obvious that they both couldn't handle Hida's blunt attitude by the way Bella's face had become pink at the cheeks. Alice simply grinned at Jasper, whom had since covered his downcast face with a hand.

Esme and Carlisle exchanged quick glances. Esme kept her sweet smile, and Hida simply fell more in love with her. Carlisle did the same, looking up at Hida. "Well, I certainly hope you guys used protection."

"I'm pretty sure he didn't use a condom, and I'm not on birth control."

Carlisle sighed and Hida could tell he was going to go into a speech about using protection. Her father did the same thing, even though he knew. Hida thought for a second, questioning whether or not she should tell them. A curious look from Edward made her make a decision, as well as confirmed that he could definitely read her mind.

She looked at Carlisle, speaking softly, "You don't have to worry. I won't get pregnant. I can't." She played with the clothes in her lap, distracting herself from what she was saying. She didn't know why she felt so safe around the Cullens, she didn't know why she trusted them with this little piece of her life, but she did. She couldn't ignore her feelings. "I'm infertile."

The room went silent, and all eyes laid on her. She could feel how their eyes searched her for answers, and when she looked up, her heart ached for Jasper. He was staring at her, and she could see the confusion in his eyes, she could almost see it in the air around him. It hurt.

"Hida, how do you know that..?" Carlisle progressed the conversation, wanting to know answers. His wife was infertile, but he knew the reason for that. He was the reason for that, after all. "Usually, women don't know until they're older or-"

"Or until they've been through a traumatic enough event to render their womb useless, right?" She stared at him, nodding. "I know."

Hida didn't see Jasper tense up at her mention of this reason, but she could feel it. Something in her was screaming to run to him, to spill her heart out to him, to tell him everything about herself. But she couldn't. She was stuck to her seat. She was terrified. Never in her life had she told someone this, and never in her life did she think she would. Yet here she was, telling a group of people she had just met. And the crazy part?

She trusted them. Completely.

Hida sighed, continuing, "After I was born, my mother and father moved back to Africa. My mother missed her homeland. I grew up there for a little while, and it was fun to play with the other children and run around in the sun all day." She smiled at the thought, her hands once again playing with the gentle fabric of the sweater. "Africa is the heart of magic, you know. It's where voodoo and black magic originated from, after all. There are things there that not even my mother knew about, but that is deeply rooted in the hearts of tribes. My mother knew a little."

She hummed, seemed to be thinking of her next sentence before continuing. "She would tell me about what herbs to use for different illnesses, what dances to do in order to please the gods. She'd tell me about mythical creatures. Things like spirits, fairies, witches… werewolves."

At her mention of werewolves, the whole room seemed to shift as everyone tensed. Even Bella. Hida made note of this, reviewing the notes she had mentally taken down before. She came to a conclusion.

Before Carlisle could say what he was going to, Hida asked him a question. The family's reactions sent shivers down her spine and confirmed her thoughts. Her question struck fear in their hearts. She had looked him dead in the eyes when she asked, and that's what alarmed him the most. She had already decided the outcome. She knew all the answers.

"Carlisle, do you believe in vampires?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Static**

So, I think I finally decided how this story will go. I'm not sure if you guys will like it, but I'll give it a try. I wonder if you guys will like the explanation as to why Hida asks about Vampires? That's in this chapter.

I still have to explain what the connection with her and the bites are. And also why the murders are important. And also a bunch of other things. Oh boy, there's a lot.

Also, I want to say that if you are sensitive to sexual assault or traumatic situations, please be warned. I'm sorry if I make anyone upset!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Alice must have seen this coming.

Her abilities allowed her to see the choices that other people made, and the outcome that would come of it. She used it mostly for other covens, to see if her and her family needed to go and intervene. She could also use it to keep watch over her friends and family, to prevent them from doing anything dangerous, or at least come to their rescue if they did. It's how she could see Laurant and his gang, how she could see Bella jump off the cliff, and how she help keep Edward alive.

So surely, she must of seen this coming.

But the look on her face told Jasper that she did not. And the way her heart dropped and her anxiety rose told him that she couldn't, even if she wanted to. He didn't need to hear the words that were stumbling and stuttering their way out of her mouth, because he knew that she couldn't see anything about Hida.

Jasper kept his eyes on Hida, the frown never falling from his face. She had once again dissolved into static. He couldn't get a read on her, her emotions would not flood into his body even if he left himself as vulnerably open as he was. It was like something had stopped the signal, like someone had cut the wires while he was on the phone. It was alarming. He wanted to know what she was feeling, he needed to know so that he could protect her. He didn't know what the traumatic event was, but he knew he wouldn't like it.

The room had gone wild with emotion from his family. Alice was anxious and shocked, Carlisle was simply nervous. Esme was concerned, but it was directed towards Hida. Rosalie, having already not liked Hida, was now furious with hostility, but Emmett and his generally curious nature balanced it out with large dosages of confusion. Edward seemed just as confused, and hid Bella behind him; Bella was drowning in her own anxiety and fear. He didn't need his gift to feel her emotions, he could tell he was scared because of her heart rate. It was deafeningly loud, the loudest in the room.

Her heartbeat was the one thing Jasper could get read on when it came to Hida. It was calm. Steady. It remained so even when Carlisle asked her, "Why do you ask? What does this have to do with you being infertile..?" Carlisle wasn't confused, he was simply curious. The tension in the room slightly alleviated when Carlisle spoke, and Jasper was thankful because the emotions were starting to make him sick.

"I'll take that as a yes." There was a sweetness to Hida's voice that matched the smile on her lips. It was so sweet, it was sickening. "If you didn't, you'd have disagreed with me. You'll see what it has to do with me and my womb, if you'd just listen to what I'm about to say."

Jasper watched Hida pick up one of the cookies that Esme had brought out. She had made them the day before, for Bella. Hida took a bite out of one and ate it slowly, savoring the taste. Jasper could hear her swallow, and then listened to her speak.

"Did you know that vampires can't sleep?" She looked down at the clothes in her lap. She reminded Jasper of a wilting flower, and that terrified him. "My mother used to tell me, when I was little and didn't want to go to bed at night, that I should sleep because vampires couldn't after they had become vampires. She told me that I was lucky I still got to dream." Hida giggled, shaking her head, continuing, "My scared ass would hop right into bed, every single time. Even when we returned to Africa, where the night was… scary.

"She also told me to go out and play in the sun a lot, because vampires couldn't do that either. Not because they'd burn, but.. " she paused, looking up at Carlisle. "Because they shined in the light. They'd sparkle, like diamonds held up to a light."

Carlisle smiled at her, moving from his crouched position on the floor to sit next to her on the chair that was beside hers. He spoke softly, fondness adorning his words, "Sounds like your mother used vampires as a way to get you to behave. Like the monsters under your bed, or the boogeyman."

Hida laughed softly, and with it the whole room felt like it had calmed down. Jasper was thankful she was there to bring relief to not only his family, but also to him. He watched as she looked back down to her hands that were busy playing with the clothes in her lap, going back to her story.

"Yeah, she'd even tell me to be glad that I could walk around and look at things normally, that vampires couldn't because their eyes were red." She sighed softly, leaning back in the chair, glancing around at Jasper and the members of his family. "But I was never scared of them, like the monsters under my bed or in my closet. I felt bad for them, I felt.. Sad for them."

Rosalie scoffed, hissing out, "You felt bad for some bloodsuckers?" Her struggle to fully accept what she was had shown through her words.

"Yes." The way Hida met Rosalie's eyes was an act of defiance. Jasper knew she wanted to make her point. "Yes, with every fiber of my being, I felt bad for them. Even if they ate humans, they were still living things. They shouldn't have to suffer for simply existing." She chewed on her lip, laughing softly. "I guess I saw myself in them. The kids at my school hated me because I was light-skinned, because I wasn't fully black. My mother's family was the same way. My father's family refused to accept a black child as their own. My mother and father were the only two people in the world that loved me.

"I was never really accepted, so I thought I knew how they felt. Sure, I could walk around more than they could, and I had never killed someone, but I still related. I killed animals to eat, to survive. I was looked at strangely and hated and… disowned, simply for existing." Hida giggled, shrugging and looking up at Rosalie. "I wanted to be there for them, because I understood what it felt like to be hated. Kinda silly, right? But still, I truly wanted to be there for them."

Jasper smiled at that thought, and Hida saw him. She smiled back at him, and Jasper knew. He knew that she knew the truth about him and his family. He could feel that much from her, even without being able to feel her emotions.

She continued, a smile adorning her face. "Now, when I became old enough, I started to question it. Were vampires really real? They couldn't be. That's what the kids at school told me, that they weren't real. That things like vampires and werewolves and witches… didn't exist." She frowned slightly, seeming to dislike the memory, "I tried to believe them, to toss those silly creatures aside."

"But you couldn't. You didn't." This time, Esme spoke up. Jasper watched his mother walk over to take a seat next to Carlisle. From her, Jasper could feel a serenity. He could feel acceptance.

Hida nodded, a smirk finding its place on her lips. Jasper thought about how beautiful she looked when she was smiling, frowning didn't suit her. She spoke softly when she continued her story, her words like honey that was spilling from her sweet lips. "You know me so well, Esme, and you've only just met me. No, I didn't. And you know why?"

Jasper knew the answe. He tensed up slightly, fearing what it would mean later on in her story, answering, "Because you met one. A vampire."

"Bingo, baby!" Hida laughed, giving him a thumbs up. "Yes. I met one. I met him when I was playing one night in the brush next to my house. He stood out immediately." A fond look washed over her features, softened them. It confused Jasper. "He was white, the only other white person besides my father and a few adults that had come on trips or to study animals. He was… beautiful." Jasper felt jealous. That is, until he heard her next words, "He made me feel.. Dirty. Ugly. He was beautiful, and I was dirty and.. Brown."

Esme frowned at this, her maternal instincts taking place. Jasper could feel her concern rising, overflowing until it reached her lips in the words that passed them. "Hida, you are not dirty. You are beautiful, sweetie. Don't think otherwise."

Jasper could swear he saw Hida blush. "Thank you, Esme. You remind me so much of my mother. She said the same thing when I told her."

Hida took a bite of the cookie she had yet to finish, seeming to think about the next words of her story. She chewed slowly, wiping crumbs from her lips, staring at the cookie. Jasper wondered what her next choice would be, what she was thinking, how she felt. He felt helpless. His power, even his sibling's powers, could not help him understand who she was in that moment. It was someone he didn't know, someone that was hidden in a white noise, a static that seemed to block everyone out. It wasn't like Bella. Bella was still vulnerable to him and Alice. Hida was hidden from everyone.

She broke her silence after swallowing, the sound playing so loudly on their ears in comparison with the silence they had been sitting in. "His name was Ophelia. When I said he was beautiful, I wasn't joking. He was so beautiful, even as a human, that even his mother had thought he deserved a female name. He hated it, told me to call him Oli instead. It didn't suit him at all, but he smiled when I called him Oli, so I did it anyways."

Hida closed her eyes, bringing her knees to her chest, holding them there gently. She seemed to be recalling something fondly as she laid her head against her knees. "He was seventeen when he was turned, he said he was turned somewhere in the 1700s. His eyes were red, which mean he drank human blood." She opened her eyes, looking at Carlisle, smiling. "Vampires' eyes are red if they drink human blood. They're golden if they drink animal blood."

Emmett was the one to speak this time, his curiosity having filled his mind to the brim. "When did you find out about us..? How did you know?"

"I had my suspicions when Jasper bit me the first time. They only grew when you guys would make inside jokes, and when I saw that you all had golden eyes. You're all cold too, I bet." She looked at Edward, giggling, "And you, sir, are terrible at hiding your gift. Telepathy, I'm guessing? My suspicions grew until Jasper bit me in the car, when he downed my blood again."

Jasper felt his parents tense, and their glares now assaulted him. Rosalie was the worst, her hate nearly invaded his body, and her shock was enough to give a headache. She didn't know he bit her in the car, Hida's hair hid it well. Carlisle and Esme were shocked, yes, but it was their heartbreak that tore at Jasper. Carlisle spoke, his voice reaching that dangerously low octave it only reached when he felt threatened. "Jasper. You bit her?"

Before Jasper could explain, Hida had raised her head and came to his defense, saying, "It wasn't the first time I'd been bitten, don't worry." She sighed when everyone's eyes met her face, looking back down at her knees. Jasper noticed the tiny scars on them, probably from falling or scraping them, and he felt the need to learn more about her. "Let me finish my story, please. You keep interrupting me at bad times, it makes it awkward. Obviously I'm not a vampire, so just… sit and listen. Please."

After a small apology from Carlisle, Hida continued. "I'm sure you've noticed the sweet scent I have, right? It's appealing, apparently. Oli had told me this many times, said I must have gotten it from my mother because she smelled the same way."

Jasper didn't know where the story was going, but he knew he didn't like it. He had lost himself when he was with her twice now, so he was mortified to learn what that bloody vampire had done to cause her to become infertile. She continued while he thought, saying, "Oli was usually very good when it came to being around me. We were nearly inseparable. He took me everywhere, and he came with me when I would walk around the jungle that sat outside my house. That's where it happened."

Hida's heartbeat rose, and everyone could feel it. Something was coming, someone they wouldn't like. "We were walking around in the jungle, as we usually were. I forgot to tell him that it was my time of the month, that I was on my period, but he could tell. Usually it was fine, and this time was no different, accept…

"Accept this time, I… I slipped. I slipped on a rock and cut my leg open." She shuddered, her muscles tensing at the memory the same way Jasper's tensed as she spoke. "He lost it. I knew he didn't mean to, but he lost it. He dragged me down, and he was too strong for me. He bit me, scratched at me, and it burned. He tore my clothes, he… He kept biting me, and I kept waiting for the pain to distract me from what was happening, but.. It never came. He kept drinking my blood. He… He took me. Took my innocence. R-raped me."

Jasper felt a growl boil from his chest and explode from his throat. Her emotions peaked, and he could feel it. He could feel everything. Her fear, her anger, her pain, her hurt. Her betrayal. It swelled inside of her, and it twirled and bundled and coiled around her. He wanted to go to her, to help her, but he knew that was not what she needed. So he stayed grounded to his spot, choosing to direct his eyes to the floor. He focused on the shock and sadness, the welling sympathy that was raising in his family's hearts. It was easier to deal with than the emotions that ravaged his mate's body. Even Rosalie had begun to feel sympathy, having related to her.

Hida continued, her muscles tense, her face buried in her knees. Her knuckles had nearly become bleached white with how hard she was squeezing her fists. "He let go, eventually. But he left me there and ran away, and I guess I understood. He was scared, scared that he had killed me with how much blood I was losing. And I thought it was fine that he had left, because I didn't want to see him anyways. I laid there for hours, unmoving, because I thought I was dying. An old lady that lived next to me had wandered in and found me, eventually. She brought my parents to me.

"After my wounds had healed, I noticed that my period had stopped. At first, I thought I was pregnant, so my mother took me to the doctor. But… I wasn't pregnant. I waited and waited and… waited. Nothing. I never got my period back."

Esme spoke softly, saying what everyone must have been thinking. "The venom had damaged your body… When he raped you, he… his venom killed your eggs."

Hida's reply was only a small nod paired with silence. They sat there for a few moments, waiting for her to be ready. When she was, she looked up, sighing. "I've accepted it by now. And I don't hate vampires. Vampires are like people, there are as many good ones as there are bad ones. I'm okay with it now. It still hurts to think about it, and I don't really talk to people about it a lot, but… I'm okay."

Jasper couldn't tell if she telling the truth or not because she once again dissolved into static. He wanted to say something to her, but what would he say? He could not bring back her ability to bore children. He could not comfort her because he himself had attacked her twice already. He was in pain, he was crumbling. The Major in him was silent. For once, he didn't scream at him to protect her because Jasper had already made a choice. He couldn't go to her because he might add more pain to her heart, and he didn't want to be the cause of her suffering. He couldn't be, he wouldn't be. No.

"How do we know you're telling us the truth…?" Alice asked quietly. Jasper could feel her hurt, and he was sure that she would have cried if she was able to. She too wanted to go and comfort her best friend, and she too knew that she couldn't. Her question did not come from a place of malice, but of genuine concern. Alice wanted to make sure Hida was who she said she was, and Jasper knew that her concern was logical. They had just learned overwhelming amounts of information about Hida, they needed to confirm it.

Hida slid her feet back onto the floor, the clothes falling to her side by the chair as she stood up. "I'll show you."

She turned her back to everyone in the room, and her fingers peeled back the edge of her dress. Jasper knew what he was going to see. He remembered it now. He remembered his hands sliding over the bumpy skin on her back that night at the bar. If he wasn't so intoxicated with her blood, her scent, her everything, then he would have stopped to see what they were.

But now, he knew. He knew what he would see, and he hoped that he was wrong.

As she pulled her dress up and over her head, Jasper knew that any normal boy would stare at the black, lacy bra and thong set she was wearing. Any normal boy would have gotten jealous that the other guys in the room got to see this intimate side of the one he loved.

But all Jasper could see were the crescent moon-shaped scars that littered her back, trailing from her shoulders and down her back. There was even one on her inner thigh, and it made Jasper want to vomit.

All everyone could see were the scars from the vampire bites.

Jasper was right.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Lying and Dissimulating**

Ooooh, such an ominous title, right? Well, I'm back at it. I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter, but it turned out okay. I'm writing without a script here, so sometimes it gets hard. I had no idea how things will be explained/found out, I just know that they will. Right now, I'm taking it chapter at a time.

It seems I didn't upset anyone with the last chapter, which was good. People seemed to respond to it well. Poor Hida, right? You'll see that she's quite strong, though. Just hang in there!

Tell me, what did you think about the last chapter? And what do you guys think of Hida? I'd really like to know! Oh! And if you have any questions for me, I'll try and answer them.

Well, let's get on with it!

(EDIT: UHM SO,,, I had nothing to do all day today, so I finished it early. ENJOY!)

* * *

She was used to being naked in front of people. Hida was quite confident in her body, after all. She got her body from her mother, it was curvy and usually stayed around a healthy weight, maybe just a bit over at times. Hida didn't think she was nearly as beautiful as her mother had been, but she was glad she inherited more than her sweet scent from her. This way, she was comfortable showing her body off when she found herself in other's beds. She slept with people often because her trauma from Oli had triggered a hyper-sexual response, or at least that's what she told herself.

She was used to this exposure, so she didn't know why she felt so nervous. So embarrassed, so terrified of what they were thinking. Hida's heart was beating, bursting from her chest just beneath her bra, and she knew everyone could hear it. Vampires' had amazing hearing, and she knew her heart must have sounded like it felt in her chest; like someone was beating an ancient gong. They were the world's greatest predator, she remembered her mother having once told her that, so they must have been very aware of her.

They could see her shake. They could hear her breathing, the sound of her heart pounding in her head. They could smell her sweat. They could nearly taste the sweetness that rolled off her the way it always did when she was scared. Oli had told her she got sweeter when she was scared, a memory that made her shudder and goosebumps break out over her skin like a rash. They could see that, too.

Hida used her shudder as an excuse to change her clothes, hoping it passed off as being cold. She didn't want to stand there naked anymore. The house was generally colder, and it made sense since they didn't need the heat. The rain had soaked her dress through and through, and her bra was still wet as well, so that was her excuse for being cold. She set her dress down on the chair, having folded it once over her forearm.

She grabbed the clothes that Alice had given her, unfolding them. She slipped the sweater on first. It was big on her, and she figured that since it was in Rosalie's closet it was probably a sweater that she had stolen from Emmett. She felt bad for wearing someone else's boyfriend's clothes, but it wouldn't be a first for her. Next were the simple black leggings, which Hida had pulled on one foot at a time. They were comfortable and stretchy, and Hida thought about how she should buy more. Her closet lacked them.

Sitting back down in her chair, she quickly glanced over Jasper's face. Pain. Her heart nearly stopped, and by the way Jasper's eyes snapped up to her own, he could tell. He offered her a gentle smile, a way of telling her that he felt pain for her, not because of her. She didn't melt this time. Instead, his smile allowed her to pick up the pieces that her memories had made her break into it. It allowed her to reform herself, and in that moment of time, she had never more thankful for someone's existence. Hida was thankful Jasper was there. That he had found her.

She was reminded how much she loved him, and the way he smiled at her told her that her still loved her. Hida was scared that she wouldn't be able to show him how much she loved him. That because she had given herself away to so many people, it wouldn't be enough. Because she had been raped, it wouldn't be enough. Because she had been raped by someone she had loved, she wouldn't be able to. She worked hard to get to a point where she was okay, where she felt like she was ready to trust again, and she was glad that Jasper had found her.

She felt like with Jasper, she would be okay. She could truly say she would be okay, even if she wasn't at that moment. And that, to her, made her enough. It made her love enough. Jasper made her feel like it was enough, and that was all that mattered.

Looking at his sibling's faces, Hida could see their sympathy. Even Rosalie seemed to have stopped being hateful, she looked at her with sad eyes. Emmett was rubbing her arm, and Hida thought she must have been through the same experience. Bella had started to cry into Edward's chest, and Alice had turned away. This was usually the reaction she got from others when they saw their scars, she was used to it. This was the way her mother reacted when she learned she had been raped. It felt weird.

She saw the look on Esme and Carlisle's faces and shook her head, refusing to let them say what they were going to. She spoke loudly, with confidence, so that everyone would get the message, "Now, hold on. I don't want anyone to feel bad for me. I'm not a victim, not anymore. I'm thankful I'm alive, and I'm proud of myself for moving past that point in my life. Please do not pity me. I'm stronger than that." She smiled. She truly believed in her words. "I'm okay now, I promise you."

Carlisle shifted to be closer to her, smiling at her. "We believe you, Hida. Would you mind if I took a look at the bite on your neck..?"

Hida giggled, shaking her head. She was glad he took the hint to move on with the conversation. It made her feel comfortable again. "Not a problem, Doc. Go ahead. It doesn't really hurt, it might even be healed a bit already." She pulled her big curls up into a ponytail, using strands of her own hair to hold it into place. The back of her head where the base of her neck connected with the bottom of her skull, was shaved a bit so she could keep cool in the summer.

Carlisle took a look at the bite, his cold hands feeling nice on her warm neck. She wondered if he could feel her blood pumping through her veins. The bite had stopped bleeding thanks to the venom, and Carlisle could tell it would be completely healed in a few days. Hida knew that it would. It wasn't as deep as the first time Jasper had bitten her since he had stopped himself.

"Hida, do you know why the venom doesn't affect you? Do you have some idea?" Carlisle got up from his seat, walking over to grab the bag he carried all of his medical supplies in. He moved back to her side, grabbing an ointment. He elaborated as he spread it over her skin, "You'd have changed into a Newborn when you were first born. Your body seems to be immune to the venom in our blood. Do you know why? Did your mother ever say anything?"

Hida sighed, shaking her head softly, the ointment feeling hot on the wound. "Nope. I have no idea. I was hoping maybe you would know, Doc."

"He's never seen anything like this, not in his 300 years. He's just as curious about it as you are, Hida." Edward had read Carlisle's mind, rubbing Bella's back as he spoke. She was still sniffling. "You're a mystery, Hida."

Hida laughed, nodding, "It would appear that way, huh? Truly one of a kind, I guess. A bit freaky, huh?"

"You're special." Jasper offered her a smile along with his answer. His eyes showed Hida that he was fighting something inside of him. Maybe it was because of her blood. Maybe it was because of her story. He reminded her of a lion. Beautiful, majestic, powerful. Dangerous.

Carlisle placed some gauze and tape over the bite on her neck, and she knew he was saying something about how it would allow the wound to breath, but she could only focus on Jasper. She wanted to be near him, and she could see that he wanted that as well. It must have been what he was fighting himself so hard about. Hida looked over him, her eyes falling to his arms. He had pushed up his sleeves, and she could see that his arms were littered in the same scars that covered her back. She looked up at his face and squinted her eyes, only now noticing the scars that littered his neck and jaw. She wondered who had put them there, and wondered how he had killed them afterwards.

She realized how much she didn't know about him. She wanted to learn everything there was to learn about him, down to the things that he had never told anyone. She wanted to tame him, to tame the lion that resided within him, so that she was the only person that knew him completely.

"Jasper, come over here." Hida's thoughts had spilled from her lips faster than she could actually think them. She rolled her eyes when he gained a horrified look in his eyes, saying, "You're not going to bite me. Just come over here. I want to see something."

When Jasper looked at her, Alice nodded, telling him, "She's right, Jasper. You're not going to bite her again. It's okay."

Hida noticed the way Emmett and Edward seemed to stiffen when Jasper's eyes lied back on her. They didn't believe Jasper wouldn't bite her. She looked at Jasper, speaking softly, "Jasper, just come here."

Jasper stood still. Hida sighed, standing up quickly. "Fine. If you won't come to me, I'll just come to you."

She walked over to where Jasper used to stand, because by the time she made it there, he had disappeared in a blur to the other side of the room. Hida wasn't surprised when he had used his advantage in speed against her. Oli had done the same. She knew it was because he was afraid of hurting her.

Hida pouted, something that seemed to surprise Jasper. She walked towards him again, saying, "Jasper, stop running away. Just let me-" He had run away again. Hida sighed and turned to look at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Jasper, get your ass back here! Just let me touch you, you prick!"

This time, she ran over to him. When Jasper tried to run, Emmett grabbed him by the shoulder and held him in place, his laugh booming in her ears. She smiled, glad that she could rely on his family to help her. It felt nice. She reached him, finally, and grabbed his forearm tightly. Jasper seemed to be angry at his brother, who just shrugged and let him go, and shocked that Hida had grabbed him.

When Hida saw that he was about to pull away, she grabbed him tightly with both hands, staring up at him and spilling out, "If you try and run away, you'll rip my arms out of their sockets. You'll hurt me. Don't move." He tensed up in response, and his whole body seemed to stiffen. His muscles seemed to become contracted as he stared down at her, and Hida thought he must have been thinking about hurting her. She knew he wouldn't.

His skin was cold in her hands, and she gazed down at his arm. It was pale, just like the rest of him, and the scars were beautifully etched into his skin. They were nearly invisible, but she could see them clearly since she was so close. They were beautiful and triumphant, unlike the ugly, pitiful scars that littered her back. Hida knew they were a symbol of his strength, and she knew that they should have scared her, but they didn't. Like with everything else Jasper did, they made her feel safe. He may have been an uncontrollable lion, a raging lion, a dangerous lion, but he was her lion. He would not hurt her, he never did.

She looked up at his face, a face that was as stone as it was terrified. She would see it in his eyes, though his face was too perfect to show it. Aside from the scars, nothing was amiss. But then again, even the scars looked beautiful on him. She reached up, tucking a piece of his golden locks behind his ear, her fingers not ignorant to the way he flinched when they brushed against his skin.

She laughed at his reaction, asking him, "You're a vampire, yet you're flinching away from me? A human?"

He seemed to relax a bit when she laughed, a small smirk playing upon his lip, making it twitch slightly. She smiled at him, letting her fingers fall upon the scars that danced across his jaw. He relaxed into her touch, and Hida knew how he felt. It felt good when they touched. It was like fire, melting and melding them to each other. She never wanted to stop touching him. His scars were smooth and a bit darker than his skin, they were almost silver. Unlike her ugly ones that stood out on her dark skin, they blended well with his milky complexion. She knew it had to do with the venom. It made them perfect, even when they weren't.

She smiled, looking up at him, letting her hand rest on his cheek softly. "Hey, guess what?" She giggled, her nose scrunching up when she told her cheesey joke, "We match! One of us is going to have to change." Her jokes had always been terrible.

The way he looked at her nearly made her heart explode. She nearly combusted, and she knew everyone else in the room could feel it. They all laughed at her, except Jasper, who simply continued to smile at her. His crooked grin was perfect in her eyes. She gently wrapped her arms around his midsection, pulling herself closer to him, laying the side of her head on his chest. It was solid, and she knew he was something she could rely on. To be there for her. To protect her. To love her.

"See? I told you. You won't hurt me. You never do, you idiot." She slipped her hands under his sweater, feeling the ridged muscles that lay underneath. They tensed to her touch, but relaxed at her warmth. It felt as good to him as it did to her. He was cool against her hot body, it felt wonderful. "I won't let you hurt me."

Jasper must have known there was truth in her words, as he wrapped his arms around her gently. He held her tight, and Hida felt like she might die. She felt safe, secure. Even when he dipped his head close to her neck and breathed in her scent, she felt completely safe in his arms.

She giggled when he kissed her neck, his cold lips sending a shudder through her body. She tapped his back lightly, giving him a playful warning, "If you bite me again, I don't know who will kill you first. Me or Carlisle. He spent time fixing me up, ya know!" The chuckle that started in his chest and trembled over his lips tickled her, making her giggle again.

"I know, darlin'... This will just make it easier to be around you." His accent was thick. It made Hida shudder. He breathed in her scent, pulling her closer to him. Hida hoped she smelled as good as he said she did.

"Okay, lovebirds. That's enough, go get a room!" When Hida separated from Jasper, she saw the comment had come from Emmett. He chuckled, his arm wrapped lazily over Rosalie's shoulder. She was no longer glaring at Hida. Emmett raised an eyebrow at her, asking, "Hey, Hida. How'd you get so banged up anyways? Did someone beat your ass?"

Hida scoffed. She always prided herself on being tough, she had to be when she was growing up. The kids at school would always try and mess with her. She shook her head, replying, "No way. You think I'd let someone beat my ass? She got one good hit in. Swear."

"It was really quite surprising, honestly." Alice backed her up, nodding, her signature mischievous grin playing upon her lips gracefully. "She punched her in the jaw and sent her flying into the ground. The girl didn't even get back up by the time we left."

Edward laughed lightly in agreement, then looked at Hida. He frowned, as if he had just remembered something. "Hida. When you told that girl that her boyfriend lied about having a girlfriend, you lied. Why? Why not just tell her the truth?"

"Ya know, that gift of yours really is quite bothersome. Invasion of privacy." Hida sighed, leaning back against Jasper's chest. It made her feel safe. "I lied to her because she already knew the truth. I'm… not always the best person. I make mistakes all the time, and helping someone cheat on their girlfriend is not a stranger to the list. In the end, she wouldn't be angry with her cheating boyfriend, she'd still be angry with me. I wanted to see if her mind would change, and it didn't."

Hida shrugged, looking down at Jasper's arms that had come to wrap around her waist gently. "She had every right to punch me. I was the one in the wrong, which is why I was going to let it go, until…. Until she started to talk about my mother. Then, I couldn't let it go."

Alice made her way, gracefully as always, over to Hida, looking at her. She reminded Hida of the fairies her mother would talk to her about sometimes. She really missed her mother. Alice asked, "Was it true…? When she said that your mother left?"

"No." Hida shook her head, chewing on her lip. She seemed small to everyone in the room, even to Bella. She spoke softly, as if hearing it would make her wilt. "She didn't leave. She died."

A numb silence once again fell across the room. Hida was allowing herself to be vulnerable around them, she trusted them. She looked up at Alice, seeming calm as she explained, "My father killed her. Crushed her spirit, until she… she died of heartbreak. My father began drinking after the accident with Oli, and he spit venom when he spoke." She closed her eyes, as if seeing her own lips speak of her mother's death was killing her. It was. "It poisoned her until she could no longer move. She told me once that she was going to die, and she did. My mother was the kind of person that once she decided something, that was final. And she decided that my father was the one that was going to end her life."

She opened her eyes, smiling softly, "But don't worry. My father got better after my mother died. It was like a wake-up call for him. He's alright now. I know he didn't mean to neglect her, it's the thing he regrets most. I miss my mother, but so does he. We just take it one day at a time. My mother was magic to me, she had her own way of impacting others. I'm just glad he chose to take the situation and have some good come out of it."

Esme smiled, saying, "Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman. I'm sure your father feels terrible, but at least he still has the beautiful daughter your mother left behind." She came over, placing her gently hands on Hida's shoulders. Hida thought about how she reminded her of a willow tree. Gentle, flowing, breathtaking. "She left behind a wonderful daughter. I'm glad Jasper seems taken with you."

"Oh my god, Esme. You're going to make me cry." Hida laughed, but nodded in agreement. "Thank you. And as for Jasper, I think I'm more taken with him than he is with me."

Before Jasper could retaliate, Hida gasped at the sight outside the window. It was dark outside. Apparently, a few hours had passed already. Her father would be home by now, and she hadn't called him to tell him she where she would be. Not good. She looked at Alice, asking, "Alice! Can you drive me home? If I'm not home soon, my father will probably call the damn police and that would be embarrassing." When Alice laughed, Hida couldn't help giggling along, pushing, "Seriously! I need you to take me home now, or he's gonna call the cops. For real! He's a nervous man."

When Alice left to go get the keys, Hida turned to Esme and Carlisle, smiling fondly at them. She loved them. "Thank you for having me over. And for helping me so much. Don't worry. I'll keep your family a secret, Doc."

Carlisle laughed, his voice reminding her of hazelnut, smooth but solid. "It was a pleasure, Hida. Please, come by any time. Esme loves to cook for people, but the only person around to eat it is Bella. We'd love for you to join us sometime for dinner."

Hida nodded, choosing to make yet another terrible joke. "So long as I'm not the dinner, it's a deal!" She was glad when Esme smiled and Carlisle laughed. Someone appreciated her jokes, at least.

She turned to Jasper, wrapping her arms around his neck the way she had that night at the bar. And again when she met him in the cafeteria. The difference was that now he responded, placing his forehead gingerly onto hers. She was glad he was cold, because she was burning up from his touch. The difference between now and those two other times was that now she could tell that he loved her, she could see it in his eyes. She could feel it when his lips replaced his forehead's place on her own, pressing a kiss there.

She smirked. "Try not to miss me too hard, okay? If you really start to miss me, you can come visit me any time. Except for when my father is home. He'd kill you, trust me. He leaves for work at three in the morning." She giggled when Jasper gave her a judgemental look, explaining, "Sometimes I can't sleep. If I'm awake, you can help me sleep. If I'm asleep, well… It's always nice to have someone to curl up with."

"Got it." His southern drawl made her weak in the knees. "Goodbye, darlin'."

"Goodbye, Cowboy." She laughed, shaking her head. "Doesn't quite roll off the tongue, huh? I'll keep thinking on it. For now, you get the point."

She pulled away from him, though she didn't want to. She needed to get home. She bid a brief goodbye to the rest of the Cullens before grabbing her dress and slipping on her shoes, stepping back out into the rain to join Alice in the car.

* * *

She waited until Alice had driven all the way down the street and turned the corner, and then she waited some more. She waited until Alice was completely gone until she turned to the door of the house. Her house.

Hida turned the key in the lock and twisted the handle, opening the creaky door and stepping in. The smell was the first to hit her. It smelled terribly of beer and whiskey, it smelled worse than a bar. Her father was definitely home.

The second thing to hit her was the guilt. She had lied to the Cullens. She had lied to Esme, to Alice. To Jasper. Her father would not call the cops. He would not worry about her. He was not nervous, that was never the emotion he had when it came to her. It was a dull pain that stung her in between her ribs, in her heart. The shame was the next to hit her, and it slapped her against her cheeks. She could feel the way it stung, the way it made the blood rush to the surface of her cheeks.

She had lied to them, to the only people in the world that cared for her. Her father did not get better. The door slammed close behind her, announcing her presence, volunteering her to the slaughter. The sound of a bottle shattering somewhere in the house made it obvious to Hida that her father would not get better.

The way his deeply disturbed voice and heavy footfalls hurt her ears as they got closer made it obvious that her father would not get better.

The way his fist connected with her stomach, the way his feet connected with her sides after she had fallen, the way his spit sprayed on her when he screamed all made it obvious that her father would not get better.

She had lied.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Scents**

Ahhh, it seems the last chapter has caused some confusion! Don't worry, everything will make sense within the next few chapters. Everything has meaning, I promise!

I finally got some questions! Thank you Bibis Pandora for sending me some questions. I did my best to try and translate them, but I don't speak Portuguese so please bear with me! Firstly, though, I wanted to say that I'm sorry you found the last part of chapter 6 to be pointless, but there IS a point in it, I promise! Alright, onto your questions:

 **What is a nymph?** Well, a nymph is a mythological creature. It is a woman who animates nature and is bound to a certain area or landform, a minor female deity. Much like mermaids, they enjoy singing and dancing, and do so in order to lure men/women to their death after having sex with them. Creepy, right? Sometimes they're harmless, sometimes they are not. It depends upon how you interpreted it.

 **What is different about her?** Ahhh, unfortunately I cannot answer this question because it will be answered later in the story. Wouldn't wanna ruin it, right? It will get answered, trust me.

 **How come Edward could not hear her father's thoughts at the time when he picked her up from school?** This is a good question! Think about it, though. Edward can only sometimes hear Hida's thoughts as well, right? What if that were hereditary? I mean, she had to get it from somewhere, right? So, she got it from her father, who has that ability for certain reasons that I cannot yet reveal. Also, keep in mind that you have not yet seen the full personality of her father at this point in time. Another thing I would like to point out is that sometimes, people who abuse others do not always seem like a bad person. It's very much a grey area, a circumstantial thing. You'll learn more about the father as the plot thickens. It'll all make sense, the dots will all connect.

 **If her father hits her like she was seen at the end of the last chapter, why did she not have bruises when she stripped off in front of the Cullens?** I was hoping you guys would notice this, I'm so glad you did! This is because of what makes Hida special, which will soon be revealed. I promise, everything I write has some sort of purpose to it. You're gonna be like "oh shit, it all makes sense now." Well, I mean… at least I hope that's what you'll be like.

Thank you so much for the questions. I love answering them because they make me think about my story. If I come across one that I can't answer, then I'd be in trouble, but at least it would help me to improve my writing.

Alright. Let's get on with the story, no? Oh, and keep in mind this little tip: Hida is a liar. Just think about it when it comes to some of the things she said in the last chapter. If she lied about her father, what else has she lied about, hm?

(EDIT: Also, I'm sorry this is like.. 2 days late. I've been super busy and I also had some medical stuff to deal with. I have very poor health, but I'm feeling alright now! Writing always makes me feel better!)

* * *

"And then she turned you?"

"Yes."

"Well…. I guess I can understand."

"You can?"

"You said she was Spanish, too..?" Hida giggled, running her fingers through Jasper's hair, elaborating, "Then yeah, I'd have tried to bang Maria, too. I'm a sucker for accents and other languages. Especially Spanish or Italian, the romantic ones."

Jasper hummed in response, revelling in the way her nails moved across his scalp and down his golden locks. This was his favorite way to spend his days now. Curled up on the couch in his room, Hida wrapped tightly in his arms, his face buried in her chest. Their legs were tangled with one another, and somehow Hida's leg always found its way hiked over Jasper's hip. They fit perfectly together, like they were somehow made for each other. That thought made Jasper smile, since he was supposed to have been dead long before Hida was ever alive.

He told Hida everything there was to know about himself, and she listened. He told her about how he joined the army before he was supposed to, about how Maria had tricked him and changed him. Jasper told her about how he stayed with Maria, about how he had killed countless people, Newborn or human. He told her about how he met Alice in that little diner, about how they had stayed together until a few weeks before Hida had shown up. He even told her about when he lost it around Bella and tried to attack her. How he had forced them to move and about how it was his fault that Bella and Edward both almost died.

"It wasn't your fault, Jay." She had said, calling him by the nickname she used for him. "You can't help that Edward is simply just one moody, broody motherfucker."

Jasper smiled at the memory, pulling Hida closer to him by the hips, letting his hands travel up to the middle of her back. She felt so small in his arms and as he hugged her tightly, the thought of accidentally hurting her scared him. She knew that he was scared of hurting her, and she tried to comfort him and tell him that he wouldn't, but Jasper didn't quite trust himself yet. He was lucky he didn't crush her during sex at the bar, and he didn't want to risk it. For now, he as comfortable just lying there, wrapped around each other.

Her scent became stronger the longer they laid there, and Jasper found himself indulging in it every time. He breathed in in deeply, he had gotten used to how sweet it was, and the way it floated around in his head. It made him feel dizzy, but Jasper didn't mind it. Even after she left, her scent seemed to always linger and drive him crazy.

He felt her lips press against the top of his head, and with it he could feel the love she was trying to communicate. He tilted his head to look up at her, smirking at the smile on her beautiful lips. He thought about the way her nose scrunched up when she was laughing while she smiled. It was just another thing he loved about her. He could feel the love dripping off of her, and it was at this time that he wished he could see inside her mind. What was it that made her love him so much? Jasper knew they were mates, but how was she so sure? And then there were the times when Hida was simply static, but then would combust into such intense love that Jasper was practically dying to know what she was thinking.

Jasper leaned up and kissed her softly on the lips, and he could feel the pooling arousal that was rising in her stomach. This was his favorite feeling in the world. Normally, he liked the feeling of aggressive passion when it came to feeling it in other people, it's one of the reasons he liked fighting. His favorite, now, was when Hida felt such intense feelings of love and arousal. It was passionate, demanding yet submissive. It drove him mad, and it tested his control. He wanted to stay in control, he didn't like the feeling of losing control, but it was always hard to do around Hida. Everything about her invited Jasper in.

Hida bit his lip and tugged on his hair, and it was always in this moment that Jasper wished he had Carlisle's immense self-control. He tried to keep calm, he really did, but the way the blood moved faster in her body had him faltering. The way her breath became ragged the longer they kissed, the way her scent became sweeter the longer he touched her, the way her heart drowned out the rest of the world, the way her longing and arousal seemed to cloud his mind. He always found himself in this situation, climbing on top of her, their bodies nearly melting together, and questioning whether or not he could control himself. When she whispered his name through busy lips, he always found that the answer to his question was no.

Jasper knew it was dangerous. He knew Hida was dangerous. It was dangerous how much he wanted to rip her clothes off, how much he wanted to take her. It was dangerous the way her teeth scraped against his neck, the way her tongue moved over his skin when she stopped to suck on the skin there. It was dangerous the way her hips moved to roll against his, the way it created friction between them. He knew he was in trouble when he began to move his hips in time with hers, that it was risky. He made his decision, and he knew what would happen next.

"Jasper, just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Alice appeared in the room suddenly, her arms crossed across her chest.

Jasper sighed. He couldn't tell if he was disappointed or relieved that Alice always showed up in this situation. She kept an eye on Jasper normally, to make sure he didn't lose his control and attack anyone, but she had begun doing it more so after he bit Hida in the car. Every time Jasper made the decision to give in to his temptations, Alice would rush in and kill the mood. He was thankful, even though part of him wanted to rip her apart for interrupting him and his mate. He pulled himself away from Hida, sitting up gracefully, smirking at the whine that left her lips when he did so.

Alice rolled her eyes at Hida, saying, "You know how this works. Jasper is not allowed to touch you like that, he doesn't have enough control yet. You got lucky the first time around." She narrowed her eyes, a cocky grin playing upon her lips, "And besides. You guys can't have sex on the couch in the living room. That's not classy at all."

"Yeah, but it's hotter sex. There's a certain thrill that comes with the possibility of getting caught in the act." Hida giggled, sitting up, pulling her hair out of her face.

Jasper could sense that she was disappointed, but then she fell back into static. It bothered him that he couldn't sense anything about her, aside from her heartbeat. Especially since she was his mate, the one person he was supposed to have the deepest connection with. He understood how Edward felt when it came to Bella. Hida leaned against him and hugged his arm softly, causing him to smile. This was the one way he could understand her feelings when he couldn't actually feel them. He knew that Hida was trying to communicate her affections towards him through their touches. He could feel it in the heat that came from their touches. It always seemed to melt him, to cause him to fuse with her in those few moments.

Alice moved to the side of the couch next to Hida, sitting down gracefully. He could see what Hida meant when she called Alice a ballerina. "So. Tomorrow, you and I need to go shopping. I saw this perfect little outfit in this shop next to-"

"Oh shit!" Hida interrupted Alice, her head snapping over to look at Alice. "I can't tomorrow. I have plans."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. Plans? He tried to ignore the Major in him, telling him to forbid her from making plans. "You have plans, darlin'?"

Hida laughed, nodding, answering him, "Well, yeah! I mean, I do have friends, believe it or not you two." She rested her head against his arm again, closing her eyes. Jasper knew his cold body felt nice against hers. She always seemed to be too hot. "I made plans already, to go see a movie with Emily and her friend Riley. We're going to see some sappy chick flick in Port Angeles."

Jasper was happy she had other friends, that she was still socializing outside of him and his family. Bella didn't do so well when it came to making friends, and it had been her downfall when they left. Hida was social, so it brought him some relief. Jasper didn't want to say anything about her social skills when it came to sleeping with people, however. Even though the thought of her in another person's bed made him angry, made him want to rip out someone's throat simply on instinct, he did not say anything. This was because he didn't know what they were. They were mates, yes, and they loved each other, yes, but neither of them had gone out on a date. Neither of them had called each other their girlfriend or boyfriend. Their relationship was like the tango; fast, passionate, so in tune with each other that it was beautiful, but always ended far too soon. He didn't say anything.

Hida looked up at Jasper, a pout having arrived on her lips. He wanted to bite her lower lip when she did that. "I won't get to see you tomorrow, Jay." Her eyes searched his for some sort of reply, and Jasper knew what it was.

He decided to take a chance, already seeing the grin dancing on his sister's lips. She knew this would happen. "Then… how about you and I go on a date?" The way Hida's eyes slightly widened made him smirk. He really loved her. "Shall we say.. Sunday?"

Hida couldn't keep herself from smiling as she asked, mocking his southern accent, "My, Major Jasper Whitlock, are you askin' me out on a date..?"

He grinned at the way she used his actual name. It was another thing he had told her when she asked to know more about him. "Yes ma'am, I am."

"I don't know, I'll have to ask my pa…" She giggled, hitting his arm softly. She did that a lot, she used every chance she could get to touch him. "I'm just kidding. Yes, of course I'd love to go on a date with you. What did you have in mind?" Before Jasper could answer, she shook her head, continuing, "Wait, no, don't tell me. Surprise me, okay?" She was excited, he could tell from the way her heart started to beat faster.

"Great. So you're ditching me to go hang out with other friends, then you're going on a date with my brother the day after? You just don't like me, huh?" Hida turned to look at Alice. Though her tone was serious, the smile told Hida that her talk was playful.

Hida shoved her gently, though it wouldn't have hurt her even if she did it roughly. "Oh whatever. I give you plenty of attention, you're my best friend!"

Hida glanced at the window and Jasper knew it was time for her to go home. Her father always wanted her home at a certain time, he was protective of her in every sense of the word. When the sky became darker, Hida usually left. It was Jasper's least favorite part of the day. The loneliest part. Hida turned to Jasper, and he could see in her eyes that it was the loneliest part of her day, too. She kissed him on the jaw, something she had taken to doing.

When he asked her why she did that, he remembered that she had said, "Because it's my favorite part of your body." She started to trace his jaw before continuing to answer, "It's strong, for one. Another thing I like about it is the scars. They're beautiful, especially the one right below your ear." She had moved her fingers across the scar she was talking about. Jasper remembered how it seemed to ignite his skin, set it on fire. "But what makes it my favorite is that I can tell how you feel from looking at it, at least somewhat. I can always tell when you're angry because you clench your jaw. I can tell when you're in pain, or when you're struggling with people's blood, because the muscle here becomes more pronounced."

Jasper was always amazed by how much Hida had come to know him in such a short time. She seemed to have paid attention to everything he did, even the little things. He was the same with her, of course. He had picked up her mannerisms, like the way she played with her hair when she was thinking, or the way her eyes seemed to always be wandering around the room if it was full of people she didn't know. He even noticed that when she bit her lips, it was because she was thinking of the best way to communicate something that was running around in her head. And even still, it seemed that Hida knew him better than he knew her.

He leaned down to kiss her nose, humming when he heard her giggle. It was like music to her ears. He watched the way she turned her head to Alice. He never got tired of the way her curls bounced when she moved her head. Alice had begun to exit the room since she already knew what Hida was going to ask her. Jasper could feel the loneliness creep into his mind, poisoning him. It poisoned him in a way that made him want to ask her to stay, to not go. He couldn't do that. It would be dangerous.

"Alice, can you give me a ride home?"

The answer was always yes.

* * *

The murders had stopped.

Jasper had nearly forgotten about them because of how they had dwindled to almost nothing. The killings from the vampires continued, but the ones that were inconsistent had almost completely stopped. There was only one in the past three weeks, which was a dramatic change from two or three a week as it had been before.

They could now focus on the killings that had to do with Victoria. Alice had been keeping an eye on her, but she didn't see anything. They knew this had something to do with Victoria. They knew she was after Bella and Edward, that she wanted them both dead, even though she was targeting Bella specifically. Victoria was making an army, but she was letting someone else make the decisions because she knew Alice would be able to see her if she made the choices on her own. She was smarter than they had anticipated.

She had been back to Forks, she had run through the forest. She was testing them, testing their boundaries. As much as Jasper hated admitting it, Jacob and his pack of mutts had come in handy when it came to keeping tabs on her. Since Jasper and his family could not pass over the treaty line, it became easier for them to know where Victoria was because Jacob was also keeping an eye out for her. Bella seemed to have stolen his heart, though her true mate was Edward.

The dogs had been trained to kill vampires all their lives. They were natural enemies, and their instincts reminded them of that fact. They were strong enough, and fast enough. They had torn Laurant to shreds when he threatened Bella, there was nothing left of him when they were through with his body. Jasper knew they would need training, though. They would be up against an army of Newborns, who were stronger than regular vampires in every sense of the word. Newborns, especially ones that were feeding on human blood, were stronger, faster, and more wild than any of them could be. Since they were coming after them right after being changed, it would be even harder to kill them. If they got their arms around the dogs' necks, they would be killed quickly. Jasper would have to teach them how to fight.

It was something that Jasper didn't know how to feel about. Part of him, the part of him that used to be the Major, was thrilled. The excitement was almost overwhelming. He was ready to fight, ready to tear limbs from torsos and heads from necks. He had always loved a good fight, and he was damn good at it, too. The other part of him, the part that was the current Jasper, the Jasper that loved Hida, wanted to avoid having to travel back to that dark side of his. He knew it would bring out a side of him that Hida hadn't seen, one that he didn't want her to see. He was afraid it would leak out into her interactions with her. He already had a hard time controlling himself around her, if he went back into the mindset of being a Major, then his control would go flying out the window. The thought scared him senseless.

Jasper was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the tension in the room rise. Suddenly, Edward had stopped stroking Bella's hair, he had stopped moving at all. Jasper's eyes snapped to Alice, who was emitting so many emotions that he knew what was happening. She was having a vision.

In a second, he was at her side, holding her hand softly. He knew that she needed someone with her during her visions, she needed someone to be by her side. She always wanted someone to hold her arms or her hands, or at least stand next to her. There was always a drop of fear in her pool of emotions when she had a vision. Her emotions switched too quickly for Jasper to always pick up accurately, but the fear always stayed. Her eyes moved quickly, they were wild and slightly glazed over. She wasn't seeing the room around her, she was seeing whatever her vision wanted her to see.

When she was done, and the vision had passed, there was a moment that was devoid of emotion. He could not feel anything from her for a second before a spark of urgency flashed through his head. Both Edward and Alice shared this intense emotion, and Jasper figured it must have been something having to do with Victoria.

"Alice, what did you see?" Jasper asked, watching her try to form words with her mouth. She stumbled over her sentence, something she only did when she didn't know what to do.

The answer came from Edward, who had turned to stare at Alice intensely. Jasper knew there was something wrong. "Alice just saw another murder. One of the ones that isn't a vampire. She saw where it was this time, the exact location. They haven't been fully killed yet. Something went wrong."

"Where is it?" Jasper knew something was wrong. Jasper knew where it was, but he didn't want to believe himself.

Alice spoke softly, her words barely a whisper, "Port Angeles."

Jasper didn't realize he had run from the house until he heard Edward and Alice scream after him. All he could think was: Hida. She was there, at Port Angeles. She hadn't called him yet, so she was still there with her friends. All Jasper could think about was what if she got hurt? The thought enraged him, caused a rumble in his chest that bubbled and fell from his tightened jaw in a snarl. He knew he needed to regain control over his emotions, but he couldn't. His mate was in danger, and that was all he could think about.

Jasper was ashamed to say he would probably rip Edward apart if he tried to stop him. They ran, leaped, pushed off of rocks and roads and branches. He needed to get to her, and if Edward or Alice tried to stop him, he'd kill them. Tear them to shreds and burn the ashes. It broke his heart, but it would be better than losing his mate. The thought crossed his mind when Edward began to catch up to him, and Jasper knew Edward could hear what he was thinking. He knew and he didn't care.

But Edward did not stop him. He simply ran to pass him, until he was ahead of him. He was leading him towards the place Alice had seen, and it was at this moment that Jasper realized he didn't even know where he was going. Jasper felt understanding from Edward. He knew that Edward would react the same way if it were Bella in this position, so he was helping Jasper out by helping him to reach the spot before Hida did.

Before Jasper knew it, they had stopped. It was an alleyway, one that would have been dark to all eyes but theirs. This was where the murder would take place. They had not been able to do this before, they weren't able to come to the scene before the murder took place, because Alice had never seen where it took place. She had only ever seen bits and pieces of interactment, and then the site where the body was dumped. This was strange, Jasper knew that something was off. The bodies were always found in Seattle, never in Port Angeles. The murderer was desperate, Jasper could feel it. But for what? The answer alluded him.

Jasper was ripped from his thoughts at the sound of three things happening. Edward yelled, a body fell, and Alice had slammed someone against the wall. Jasper moved over to the fallen body, crouching down to examine it. It was a man, the same as the others that had been killed, except this time he seems to have been saved before he was killed. He was still breathing, his heart was still pumping blood, but he was unconscious. They had caught the attacker just in time.

"Jasper…"

He ignored Edward when he called him, his brows furrowing together as he thought. There was no scent on the man that didn't belong to him, which would have been impossible for a human. There were no markings on the man either, and there was no smell of drugs in his body. It confused Jasper. How was he knocked out? If the attacker had used force, they'd have left a scent. If it was drugs, the drugs would have left a scent. And yet, there was none. It was devoid of scent.

"Jasper."

This was also inconsistent with the way the men in Alice's visions always felt. He could gather that they felt some sort of pleasure, some euphoria, before they were killed. If it was sex or drugs or even alcohol, there would have been a smell. And yet, once again, there was none. How did they feel that way, then? Jasper knew it must have an empath, but even those feelings were hard for him to bring out in someone, so he highly doubted it. There were so many questions that had gone unanswered and still remained unanswered. It confused him, he didn't want to think about it.

"Jasper!"

This time, Jasper looked over at Alice, who had yelled for his attention. That's when it hit him. A scent. That one scent. It was familiar, the sweet scent. The smell of honey and bourbon, of sweet whiskey. The one that made him melt. The one that was so sweet it was almost sickening. The one that reminded him of a wilting flower. The more it wilts, the sweeter it gets. Jasper knew something was wrong. He knew what was wrong, but he didn't want to believe it. He couldn't.

He looked towards the person Alice had thrown against the wall, the one who had been killing all those men, and his world came crashing down. Everything seemed to stop.

The red lipstick. The freckles. The dark brown, curly mass of hair. The warm brown eyes that once seemed to welcoming now seemed like those of a complete stranger.

He could see her mouth move, she was saying something, but he couldn't hear it. He knew it must have sounded like honey.

It was her. It was Hida.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Truths and Accuracy**

Aaaand I'm back! Late! Again! Sorry, I have a lot with these being the last final days of school. I'm trying to keep up with everything and update regularly, even if I falter sometimes. It's hard to keep up, but I love writing this story, so it's okay.

Well, how did you guys like last chapter? I'm glad that last chapter is out off the way because no we can move onto the MAIN PLOT. Hopefully all of your questions about Hida will be answered in the next few chapters. I hope you guys like this. I really, really do. Holy shit, though, I still have to explain so much. I know that the next few chapters are gonna be like, I actually have the next ones planned out. It's going to get interesting from here.

And I wanted to say thanks to those who leave reviews. You guys really help. Also! It's really good to know that you guys like Hida. She's a character that I've really taken the time to think about. She's complex and crazy, but she's lovable and strong. I love her to death, and I hope that you guys do, too. Lets hop on in!

(EDIT: It took me so long because I rewrote this chapter like… 3 times. Sorry!)

* * *

It wasn't like it was the worst pain ever.

Hida was used to being slammed into walls, although it was usually during sex and wasn't nearly as hard. Still, she knew her body could handle the pain. It was searing, she could tell that parts of her back were bleeding by the way her shirt stuck to her back. It was uncomfortable, but it wasn't the worst pain she had ever experienced.

No, the worst pain she'd been through wasn't the incident with Oli. It wasn't her family hating her. It wasn't the kids at school bullying her. It wasn't her mother dying, even though it was slow, painful process; one that happened right before her eyes.

No. The worst pain was watching the emotions shift in Jasper's eyes the second he laid them on her. She could see the confusion, it swelled behind those eyes, and she imagined it probably gave him a headache. Next, the anger that caused his eyebrows to furrow and his eyes to narrow. The pain that showed up next was the kind that made his jaw clench, made the muscle protrude more than usual. And then, finally, the trust that left him completely. It seemed to melt from his eyes, and she was sure that he would weep if he could. She could see the way the light in his eyes he held for her left, leaving nothing behind. It scared her.

It was strange how fast his eyes turned cold. Hida remembered how much love they held, how gentle they had been, during the times they had laid together. He always managed to keep them as golden as possible, so he wouldn't run the risk of hurting her. Unlike the dull ones she was staring into now, they were shining brightly, like the liquid gold they were made out of. They raked across her skin, caressed her curves, loved her cheeks, bore into her eyes. They had held so much love, even for her scars. They looked beautiful as they crawled over the dark scars on her body.

"They're not ugly, darlin'." He had said. His fingers made her flinch as they ran over the bumpy crescent shaped scar, the one that peaked out on her inner thigh if she wore shorts. It was because it seemed to soothe her as much as it drove her crazy. With just his touch, her body exploded into fire, bursted into something deeper than love. She knew it was the same for him. After a while, he continued, "They're beautiful, just like the rest of you. They scream that you're strong, don't you think?" His hand came to rest on her inner thigh, and Hida imagined what it would feel like if his fingers began to crawl their way up her shorts. It felt amazing. "And they remind me of why I need to be careful around you. Why I can't lose control around you. Ever."

Hida wanted nothing more than to touch him in this moment. She wanted to touch him, to hold him. She wanted to tug on his hair, to bite on his lip, to feel the way her insides could wrap so tightly around him. It wasn't out of lust, or arousal. It was out of need. She needed to feel him because she wanted to know he wasn't slipping away from her. The coldness in his eyes made her sick, it ripped at her eyes, made her want to cry and yell and vomit. She was losing him, and she couldn't handle it.

She knew it was her fault. She had lied, told him that she was going to the movies, lied about what she was really doing. Even worse, she had hid secrets from him and his family, only told them half truths. She knew this, and yet her heart still lerched. It twisted and contorted, screamed and cried, ran, choked, stopped. It skipped a beat, hurt her whole body from the lack of rhythm, but she knew it was all her fault. She had no one to blame but herself.

Another memory floated into her mind, another time she had no one to blame but herself for Jasper's actions. She had dropped her cup, a glass cup, because Emmett had bumped her too hard. The cup came flying out of her hand and had landed on the ground, shattered on impact. When Esme had told her to not worry about cleaning it up, Hida just laughed it off and bent down to pick up the pieces. She had been taught manners, whether they believed it or not. It was a mistake, because she managed to slice her hand open on one of the pieces. She had picked it up, but it slipped from her hand and her reflexes had allowed her to grab it in time, not without it slicing her hand.

She had sometimes forgotten that she was in the company of a family, a whole coven, of vampires, but she was reminded when they all rushed behind her to grab the vampire that was the greatest threat to her life. She had sometimes forgotten that Jasper was dangerous when it came to her blood, but was reminded of that fact when she turned around to see them restraining him. He had managed to almost reach her by the time they grabbed him, and Hida knew she could reach out and touch him if she wanted to. He was that close to her. That close to almost killing her.

"Jasper, you're not going to hurt me, right?" Hida had ignored the voices of his siblings telling her to leave. She even ignored the urgency that had roused in Carlisle's voice, and the way Esme nervously stood by Jasper. Esme was trying to calm him down, but she knew it wouldn't work. Everyone knew it wouldn't work.

While she waited for an answer, Hida took in the Jasper that was in front of her. It had been the same Jasper she was used to, just wilder. Hungrier, angrier, more instinctual. He had always reminded her of a lion, but in that moment he had looked exactly like the big cat. His hair flew around the same way a lion's mane would. His body ached and trembled to try and get to her the same way a lion's would. His muscles tensed and swelled the same way a lion's would, especially when they were trying to kill their prey. There was fight in his eyes, but Hida could tell it wasn't a fight against his siblings. The fight was with something inside himself, it was like he was trying to do two different things. His instincts told him to kill Hida, to drink her dry, but the Jasper she knew fought to keep him from doing exactly that.

At that time, she had moved towards him. She knew that if she were to run away, Jasper would feel bad. He would have receded back to ignoring her, back to keeping his distance. The thought made her fingertips ache, and she had reached out to touch him. She believed in her own words, she knew he wasn't going to hurt her. Her hand had become covered in blood at her side, but she brought it up to his face anyways. Hida remembered the way he looked at her, stared her in the eyes. She had smiled at him, her hands grabbing his face, urging him to believe in himself. To believe in her.

And he did. His body had stopped moving on his own, and Hida knew that her Jasper was back in control. He had begun to calm down, his mind had begun to take control over his instincts. He didn't struggle to get to her, only tilted his head so that his cheek was pressed against her palm. She could nearly feel the comfort that her warmth had brought him, the comfort that made his muscles relax and melt into her hands. His siblings listened to Carlisle when he told them to let Jasper go, though it was not without hesitation.

Jasper had stood up, his hands grabbing her wrists softly. The blood still bothered him, Hida could see it, but he was at least in control at that time. He pressed her hands into his skin, closing his eyes. There was blood on his cheek, but he didn't seem to mind according to the smile that broke out against his pallid face. Hida remembered how special she felt. She had broken him out of his struggle, she had helped him to overcome something he had been fighting with. Even if it was small, she had been glad to have been helpful.

"Okay. I won't hurt you." Jasper had said, opening his eyes. Hida had pulled his face closer to hers, and Jasper had let her. "I believe in you, Hida."

It was obvious that the Jasper standing in front of Hida, the one staring at her in the dingy alleyway, the did not believe in her anymore. His eyes held nothing more than a coldness that was somehow colder than the air that gusted through the alley. It wrapped around her heart and made it sick. She had worked so hard to get close to him, and now they seemed to be even farther apart than they were before. It made her want to cry.

But she knew that it was her fault. So she would have to take responsibility for her actions. Hida blinked rapidly, she would not allow herself to cry. She would not allow herself to get distracted from the pain in her back or the growing pain in her shoulder, which she had now realized was dislocated. The adrenaline she was running on had begun to run out, she was running on empty at that point. She had to do something. She had to believe in herself, even if they didn't. Even if Jasper didn't.

She looked Alice in the eyes with a newfound composure. Alice didn't know where it came from, but it both scared her and relaxed her. Hida spoke calmly, despite the fact that she was in the grips of a vampire who was far stronger than her. "Alice." Alice was already looking at her, but it was as though Hida was trying to calm her thoughts. The honey in her voice was as soothing as it was disturbing.

"Let me explain."

* * *

"Why is there a girl standing in the middle of your living room, bleeding?"

Hida looked at the person who had asked the question. It came from a boy she didn't recognize, he had the air of someone younger than her even though he was bigger than her. He looked to be Native American, he was tan like her, with dark hair that was chopped off. If Hida ignored the fact that he was standing closer to Bella than Edward seemed to like, and the fact that he didn't have shirt on, Hida would have taken him for a normal human. It was clear that he was not, she had heard from Alice. He was a dog, a werewolf.

Hida smiled, looking at him, "You must be Jacob. Gotta tell ya, I've only heard shitty things about you from Ali-"

"Are you going to explain yourself or not?" The question came from Rosalie.

It had been like this ever since they had taken her back to their house. Rosalie had gone back to glaring daggers at her, and Emmett didn't flash his toothy grin at her like he usually did. Alice remained silent, and Edward seemed to be on guard towards her, as though she could do anything to hurt them. Jasper wouldn't even acknowledge her existence as he stood on the other side of the room. He seemed to find more interest in looking at the ground. She didn't blame him.

The only ones that seemed to not totally distrust her were Carlisle, Esme, and Bella. Bella didn't count, however, because Hida knew she probably didn't understand the current situation and the Cullens weren't always the best at communicating information to her. Esme had brought her a new shirt to put on and helped her remove her old shirt. She was even careful with Hida's dislocated shoulder, and almost seemed to feel bad for her.

"Hida, why don't you start from the beginning?" Carlisle asked, opening a new bottle of peroxide for Hida's back. He was the one being the most gentle and understanding with Hida, and for that she was very grateful. It gave her a chance to think, to gather what she wanted to say.

Hida nodded, a hiss escaping through gritted teeth as Carlisle began to sanitize her back. His cold hands brought some relief when they brushed across her skin, and it allowed her to begin explaining. "My mother… her name was Jamilah. In Somali, it means 'beautiful.' She was named that because she was simply beautiful, since the day she was born. The men in the village used to call her Jamilah Madow."

"Beautiful Magic? That's quite the name." Carlisle was trying to reassure her that he was listening, as well as distract her from the second round of peroxide.

It didn't work. "Fuck!" She hissed and curled her back, closing her eyes. The pain was searing, and as much as she wanted to writhe around, her shoulder prohibited her from doing so. She continued, keeping her eyes closed. "Yeah, it is. In Somali, you're given a name that communicated what you are. My mother was beautiful and magic. My grandmother gave her the name, and my grandmother's name was Madow, too." She paused, having to collect her thoughts before they were lost to the pain in her back. "But the men and women in the village used to call her Sixirka Madow. It meant Black Magic."

"I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with what's going on here?" Jacob was overstepping his bounds by asking that question. He didn't know Hida. It would have bothered her less if the question had dropped from Rosalie's mouth, but it didn't.

"Well, if you would let me continue without your interruptions, you fucking dog, then maybe we'd get to the point, huh?" Hida's eyes snapped open to glare at the mutt her aggravation was addressed to. She noticed the tug on Emmett's lips that would have turned into a smile if it wasn't for Rosalie's glare. "She was called black magic because she was a witch."

Carlisle nodded. "That is common in African culture, especially in tribes. They have witch doctors." He had started to place gauze sheets on her scrapes. They were bigger than Hida had originally thought, apparently.

"There's a belief that witches are servants of the Devil. There's also belief that only evil can be bred from evil, ya know?" Hida hummed, looking down at her limp arm. She couldn't move it because it was dislocated. The thought of moving it brought enough pain to her mind that it made her want to vomit. "Well, I don't know if my grandma served the Devil, but she must have been evil because she sure bred evil. Same with my mother."

"That doesn't make sense. How are you evil?" Bella seemed to be confused, and Hida knew that the others were probably just as confused.

Hida sighed and continued explaining. "I told you that our names mean something, right? My mother named me Hiddaha, right? And what does it mean?"

"Nymph." Esme spoke with a soft voice, as if she would break Hida if she didn't. She didn't know why, but Hida appreciated how delicate she was being with her.

"Bullshit." Jacob was starting to get on Hida's nerves with his commentary. "So you're telling me that things like nymphs and fairies exist?"

"You're a fucking dog." Hida raised an eyebrow at him. "If you exist, why wouldn't they?"

"Wolf. I'm a wolf."

"Same thing." Hida sighed. She didn't like bickering with someone whose mentality was that of a thirteen year old boy. It was exhausting.

Carlisle took his chance to interject, stating, "Hida, I think what Jacob is trying to say it that we need to see some proof. It's hard for us to believe something that we've never come across before." He was trying to be gentle, he was trying not to invalidate her existence. "Would you mind showing us?"

"Thank you for asking nicely, Carlisle." She smiled, despite her jab at Jacob. "I'd be glad to show you."

She looked back at the others in the room. They were all tense, which she understood. They didn't trust her, so they didn't want her doing anything that might cause them harm. "For one, my scent. It's sweet, right?" When Alice nodded, she continued, "That's because my body is used to attract others. Every part of it is made to entice others, to lure them in. When I was younger, I didn't know how to control my scent, but now I know how to do it.

"It acts as a sedative. It dulls the senses until I am the only thing you can focus on. The stronger it is, the more effective." She looked at them, chewing on her lip. Hida was nervous. It was the first time she was showing this to someone who knew about it, other than when she'd practice with her mother. "Are you ready?"

Hida did not wait for an answer. A sickeningly sweet scent filled the room. It was like a flower; the sweeter it got, the sicker it made her feel because she knew she was deceiving those around her. It made the air thick like honey, and she could tell it strongly disturbed those in the room. She always enjoyed watching the way it affected those around her, it was interesting to watch how they slowly became obsessed with her. It was hard not to. She could tell it was hard for them. It was like they were drowning in honey, it was practically pouring down their throats, making it hard for them to breathe by clogging all their passage ways. Their eyes became glued to her, and she could tell it was working. It was like a glaze fell over all of their eyes, until she was the only thing they could see. The only thing they cared to see. It made them believe she was the only one in the room, until she was the only thing on their minds. It was getting dangerous.

She stopped it, and watched as they all slowly came back to their senses. They all held the same confused look on their faces. It was the same when she used it on humans. She continued to explain, all their eyes landing on her at once. If it wasn't tense in the room before, it was now. "My scent helps me to lure people in. It alludes the senses, allows me to be perfect in the eyes of others. If I take my scent away completely, it has the opposite effect. You become completely unaware of me. My appearance fades back to normal."

She dropped her scent, pulling it out of the room until the very last drop of honey was gone. She gave them time to process her, both her being and her appearance. She knew they couldn't smell her, couldn't sense her, they couldn't even hear her heartbeat or breathing. If they couldn't see her there in, it'd be like she didn't exist at all. The only reason they could sense her normally was because she wanted them to, and she hoped that fact had translated well to them, even if she didn't use her words. Jasper, who was now staring at her, seemed to understand.

Then again, he might have been staring at her because her appearance had changed dramatically. Her body and curves stayed the same, and her hair still held its dramatic curls. Her skin was still tan, and freckles still showed like a galaxy across her face. But her eyes had changed. They became duller, and seemed to be lost in the dark circles under her eyes that came from lack of sleep. They seemed to be tired in ways only a vampire would understand. They were sad and lonely. Lonely, despite the bruises that accompanied them.

"Hida, sweetie, what…" Esme reminded her of her mother. She was concerned for her, and Hida knew it was because of the way her skin was practically blue.

With her shirt off, they could see everything. Her skin was like a rainbow of colors. Of blues, purples, blacks and yellows. Some of them were faded and blended into her skin effortlessly. Others, like the one on her stomach, showed on her skin as if it was proud to be there. She could feel their eyes on her, and the sympathy that began to wash over it. It made her stomach churn more than the hits and grabs that caused the bruises. It made her sicker than the father her dirtied her skin.

She didn't want them to look anymore, the nervous feeling she was usually ignorant to had come to fill her ribs and claw it's way into her mind. She allowed her scent to drip into the room once more, and her appearance was again hidden. Her eyes held a false light and held promises of sleep that Jasper knew she didn't get. That they all now knew she didn't get. Her skin held false assurance of a home they now knew wasn't so loving.

Hida wanted to change the subject. She was glad when Edward spoke, his eyes fixated on her. He held Bella, who seemed to be distraught by Hida. "What does this have to do with you killing those people, Hida?"

"Historically, nymphs are harmless creatures that lure men and women for their own pleasure." Carlisle was smart and unforgetting, even if he was uninformed.

Hida scoffed, nodding. Her arm had started becoming numb, and Carlisle had finished bandaging her back. She dreaded having to reset her arm. "You can remember all that, huh? Well, I'm sorry, but your information is kind of outdated. We aren't harmless. And we aren't bound to landforms like the Greek thought, though I gotta say I do like the forest more than anything."

Carlisle moved to the other side of her, to reset her arm, but seemed to wait for her to continue explaining. He wanted to know, he was listening. Hida appreciated the fact that he seemed to not be one to jump to conclusions. She continued, "We are bound to people, though it's not the same as an animal having a mate. Nymphs can have mates, yeah, but they're hard to find, and they can be bound to people pretty easily. My mother became bound to my father. There was love between them at first, but that's how it is when you're bound. It's a loveless commitment. I was born from it.

"When the incident with Oli happened, my mother explained everything to me. She told me about what I was, and how it would change the way I lived. Nymphs give birth to more nymphs, as it turned out, so my mother was the only person I could rely on."

She took a breath, closing her eyes. "My mother died because my father found out how we live. How we keep our bodies alive, what we have to do in order to keep them from falling apart. He made her stop, and her body withered away to nothing." She sighed, continuing, "It's understandable. The way we have to keep our bodies alive is terrible. I fought with my mother about it for a long time, but by that point in her life, she had already tried everything. There's only one way, especially for me."

"Why's that?" Alice seemed to have stopped being angry at her, though she still didn't quite trust her. It made Hida feel a bit happier.

Hida hummed, shaking her head, "My father. My mother is a nypmh, and my father was a shaman. Shamen are seen as being close to god since they are born spiritual beings, in one way or another. Some cultures see shamen as a fallen angel of sorts, though my father is no angel. They're seen as a messenger of god, you could say. If a nymph breeds with a god, or a demi-god, then the child becomes-"

"Immortal. I remember reading that when I was studying Greece." Carlisle said. He impressed Hida with how much he remembered. Hida could barely remember what she had eaten that day sometimes.

"Bingo. I'm immortal, though that simply means that once I reach maturity, I won't age anymore. I'll only live as long as I don't get into trouble. I can still die, and quite easily at that. I'm as weak as any other human, I can die if someone stabs me and I lose too much blood." Hida explained. She was nervous, even if she did feel comfortable around the Cullens. She was nervous because everyone's eyes were on her, and they communicated nothing but distrust through their looks. She understood why they felt that way, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"You still haven't told us what you need to survive." Even though it was Alice that asked the question, Hida knew she already knew the answer. "And why you killed those men." The answer was obvious.

Carlisle had grabbed Hida's arm, and Hida nodded to him to let him know that he could reset it. It was going to hurt like a bitch, but it was her own damn fault.

"I lure people in, seduce them, and I eat their hearts when they're at their peak. Their souls."

Carlisle moved to reset her arm. There was a crack. Pain. Unbelievable pain.

Hida didn't realize she was screaming.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Conflict**

So…. what did you guys think of the last chapter, eh? Hida is in fact a nymph, though I kind of took my own version of that and twisted it. Kind of like what Meyers did with vampires and the lure surrounding them. I hope you guys liked it. I hope none of you were disappointed.

Also, what do you guys think of Hida as a character? I would like to know.

I brushed over the bit about her father because that will be explained at a different time. Also, there's still soooo much more to learn about her. I hope you aren't bored because we are just getting started!

Keep reviewing and commenting, and don't forget to ask questions! I promise I will answer all of them! Let's gooooo.

(EDIT: I know this chapter is shorter than ususal, but trust me. The next chapter is going to be CRAZY.)

* * *

"We can use her. Against Victoria and the Newborn."

It wasn't the worst idea, Jasper had to admit, and it had already crossed his mind by the time the words had passed Jacob's lips. Jasper didn't know how he felt about it, and for once he could say he didn't know how to feel at all. He was an empath, sure, but that didn't mean he knew how he should feel.

Should he agree with Jacob and Emmett? They both felt the same about Hida. He could tell they wanted her to fight alongside them, even if they didn't completely trust her. Excitement filled their minds, and curiosity likely drove their thoughts. Or should he feel the same way that Alice and Esme seemed to feel? They were both shrouded in dismay and distraught when it came to the idea of using Hida. He could nearly see the way it wrapped around their features, caused their lips to curl into a snarl and their brows to furrow. Or should he feel the same way Edward and Carlisle seemed to feel? They had an air of indifference to them. They were the ones keeping a calm over the whole group, because Jasper had lost his control to do so a while ago. He was too busy fighting himself.

He knew he felt betrayed. Hida had lied to him about who she really was. But because she was his mate, his love for her ran deeper than anything else. He knew he felt sad, because he didn't feel like he could trust her. But once again, his love for her had already understood why she lied and forgave her. It confused him, swam through his mind until it drowned in doubt. He couldn't look her in the eyes because he knew it would be bad. He knew he would run to her, hold her. He couldn't do that. He didn't fully trust her yet.

It was something Jasper had been fighting the whole time. On the outside, the Jasper he was now, he knew he couldn't trust her. She wasn't human, and it was something she had lied about. She had used her powers in order to deceive him and his family, and that was unforgivable in his mind. He had to stay away from her, treat her like the enemy. The old him, the Major, wanted to do the opposite. He wanted to protect her, to growl out that he would keep her safe. The bruises on her body are was caused this reaction from that place deep inside him, though he was like that normally. It was a fight that tore him apart, affected his ability to keep everyone else in the room calm.

Things had calmed down since Carlisle had reset Hida's arm. Her scream had filled the room long after it had stopped, it had deafened any noise. It chilled everyone to the bone because it reminded them that she was still human, even if she wasn't. She still lived as one, aside from where she got her energy from. Once she stopped screaming, she had fallen silent aside from the sniffles that filled the room. Her tears had crawled their way from her eyes, Jasper could tell she hated crying in front of others, and seemed to burn their path down her cheeks. She cried for what seemed like forever, even long after Esme had pulled her onto a couch and rubbed her back. It only made it harder for Jasper to stay away from her. Even her tears smelled like honey.

Hida had stopped crying, having wiped away all traces of them with the back of her hand. Her body was still trembling, Jasper could tell the adrenaline had fully worn out. Still, there was no trace of pain in her voice as she spoke with confidence, "If you want me to fight, I will. I'm strong, and my abilities will help." Jasper could tell in her voice that she wasn't giving them a choice. She was telling them she was going to help. "I want to. I wanna help."

Hida was trying to earn back their trust. He didn't know what her intentions were, but she wanted to earn their trust. She wanted to be with them, even if she had to fight to do it. Before his family could argue, Jasper spoke up. He didn't want them to get into a brawl like they could at times. "I think that would be possible."

"Jasper, do you have any idea what you're saying?" Alice seemed to be more than distraught when she asked the question. She seemed to dive into a rage Jasper had never seen before. He didn't know she was capable of feeling it.

He nodded, answering, "I do. She'd need some training, but she could fight alongside us. Her ability would be able to distract the Newborns, give us time. It would enable us to get ahead, and we're gonna need all the help we can get." He continued to stare at Alice, even though what he said next seemed to be directed at Hida. "That is, if she really wants to fight."

"I do." Jasper could feel the gravity of her words in her voice. He didn't need to sense her emotions to understand that she really meant what she was saying.

"Then it's settled." Emmett seemed happy with Hida's decision. He was shining with eagerness, it almost made Jasper feel giddy. "She's gonna fight with us. Bad ass!"

Rosalie growled, glaring at him. Jasper didn't expect her to feel so strongly about Hida. Even though she didn't trust her all the way, Rosalie's protectiveness over her was pouring out of her. "Nothing is settled, Emmett. What is she going to do, huh? Distract them enough so they can kill her? And what about feeding?" She looked around the room wildly, even though Jasper was trying his hardest to keep her calm. "What is she going to do about that? She can't keep killing people here, and she can't go to Seattle! They'll find her, and she'll lead them to us."

"I won't!" Hida yelled. The desperation in her voice meant all eyes were on her. Jasper nearly fell apart when he saw the way her body shook, the way her eyebrows furrowed together. "I wouldn't do that if they caught me. And they won't catch me to begin with. As for distracting them… if I have to die in order to keep them from hurting Bella, then so be it. I'm strong, but if I have to risk my life, then…. That is my choice to make, not any of yours. I'm a big girl." Her humor was dry, there was no life behind it. She knew the reality of what she was saying.

Then, she locked eyes with Jasper. She was still static to her, but he could see her conviction in her eyes. She meant every word she said. He could see the small bit of pain, too. It was his fault, without a doubt. Her voice was like honey when she spoke, but even so it felt like spikes in his mind. "If you want me to stop feeding, then I will. I won't kill anymore. I won't need to for a while."

Jasper knew that was a lie. They had stopped her before she could kill that man in the alleyway, and the only reason she had begun to kill in Port Angeles was because she was desperate. Why else would she have risked being found out? And yet, he could not bring himself to point it out. Something in her eyes, the eyes that pierced so deeply into his, told him not to. So he didn't. His family was in uproar, no one had any understanding. Instead, there was fear and anger in their hearts. He knew he would regret it, the Major was already screaming at him that he would, but he could see it in her eyes. She wanted to do this, she did not regret it. She was like her mother; once she decided something, that was it. Even if it would kill her.

"Alright." Jasper said. It was like he was speaking without his mind. He was detached from reality, from what he was saying. "Stop."

* * *

Fighting was something Jasper had always enjoyed.

He had joined the army earlier than he was supposed to, he had used what persuasive skills he had as a human to do so when he was seventeen. He didn't want to wait until he was nineteen to defend his country, and he became the youngest Major in the U.S. Confederate Army. He was proud of his ability to not only fight, but also his ability to teach others to fight. He was the second strongest, after Emmett, and the second fastest, after Edward. The only reason Edward was his equal in battle was because of his telepathy, he was always one step ahead.

He knew he changed during a fight. He didn't need Alice or anyone else to tell him that, even if they had seen him when he was fighting. His whole mindset changed, reverted back to when he was referred to as Major Jasper Whitlock. He stood up straighter, walked around with his head held high and his arms behind his back in a military manor. He knew his southern accent became thick and his voice dropped an octave lower, became louder so it could travel over soldiers. He knew he became more intimidating, dominating over those who dared to defy him.

Jasper watched the wolves with dominant eyes, ones that judged their every move. They flickered around, their golden hue studying their reactions to his family members as they watched them fight one another. They took turns fighting, showing them what to expect with a Newborn. The Newborns were stronger than any of them were at that time. Vampires were their strongest when they were first born, their tissues were closer, in between human and vampire. They were wild, savage, vicious. Jasper had fought enough of them to have learned that by now. He was making sure Jacob and his pack could fight them when they came for Bella. They would have to keep them at bay so that Edward could deal with Victoria.

Even though training had ended, and the wolves seemed to be done for the day, they remained. Jacob glanced at Edward, and Edward seemed to read his mind. Jasper wasn't ignorant to the smirk that tugged at his lips. Edward spoke for Jacob, stating, "Jacob says they want to know what Hida can do. They want to know why she's here if she's human, since she's not involved like Bella is."

Jasper looked at Hida, whose head had snapped up at the mention of her name. She stood up from where she was sitting, the trunk of a fallen tree, and made her way over to Edward. Jasper could see how not consuming lifeforce was causing her her degrade. She looked thinner, Jasper could see her ribs if she lifted up her arm to reach something and her shirt raised up; he could see the faint outline of her hips, too. She gave a sweeter scent as the days went on. It was her body's way of trying to lure someone in to save itself from dying, even if she didn't want to attract anyone. Jasper was terrified of what she would look like if she took away her scent completely, as he was sure she looked worse than she let on.

They had tried to ask her about the bruises, but she wouldn't open up to them. Since Edward couldn't read her mind unless she let her guard down, he couldn't weasel his way into her mind to get the info out of her. Though Jasper stayed away from her since the incident, finding out where the bruises came from was something Alice was desperate to do. Jasper knew they must have been from her father, even if Hida said he was a nice man. She had lied to them before, hidden part of herself away, so they didn't know what they could and could not trust anymore. Her words were too soaked in honey, it always let them to get stuck in it. She alluded them all, they were helpless when it came to finding out more about Hida unless she wanted them to know.

Jasper tried to stay as far away from Hida as possible. Until the problem with Victoria and her Newborn army was over, he didn't think he should get involved with her. The distance was killing him, almost as much as not eating was killing her. But he knew that being distracted by her, or her distracting him, would actually kill one or both of them. She was dangerous to him, and he was dangerous to her. It was something they both acknowledged, even if Hida still did little things to assure herself that they were still close. That Jasper still loved her. He wouldn't stop loving her, he couldn't even if he wanted to. They were mates, their love ran deeper than others who didn't have a mate could fathom.

Once Hida made it over to Edward, she looked at the wolves, speaking directly to them. She had never come across werewolves before, so Jasper was surprised she wasn't scared around them. "If you'll let me, I can demonstrate my abilities for you in a fight. It would be much quicker, and that way you can tell me if I'm good enough to fight alongside you." She smiled, and when she turned to Jasper he thought the smile would make him disappear. "Jasper. Set me up with a partner."

"I'll do it." Alice raised her hand, volunteering herself. She grinned and Jasper could feel how eager she was. "I promise I won't go too hard on you, Hida."

Hida walked with Alice to the sparring ground, a small clearing that was open enough for everyone to watch. She scoffed, watching Alice move to the opposite end. "Oh please. I'm not a little bitch, Alice, I can handle it. Don't hold back."

Alice grinned, locking eyes on her. Jasper knew she wouldn't hurt Hida, but he still felt the urge to run and stop them. He resisted it. "Wouldn't even think of it."

There was an eerie silence that fell across the clearing, wrapped everything up in the false calm that came before a terrifying storm. Alice stood as she usually would when she was ready to fight. The way she bent her knees and left herself open was a great tactic in battle, it was something that seemed to trick Jasper in past sparring sessions. She left herself open to lure her enemy into thinking she didn't know how to fight, it allowed them to think she would be easy to take down. Jasper knew better after he had experienced it for himself. The stance allowed her to use her graceful speed against her opponent, and she'd have them on the ground in a second. That, paired with her agile and impossibly flexible body, one that often led people to believe she was a dancer, made her that much more dangerous. She was wild, she didn't play by the normal rules of battle. If she got her arms around someone, they knew they were dead.

Jasper looked at Hida. He could tell she had never been in a fight before. She did not change her stance, she stood the way she always did; her back straight and her head raised with confidence. A smile adorned her lips, but Jasper could feel the twinge of doubt, of fear, that made it falter almost completely. She was scared to fight, and Jasper wished he could ask her why. She fell back into static, and with it her fear. She changed in those next few seconds. Jasper noticed the changes in her demeanor, the ones that told him she was ready to fight. Her eyes narrowed, her breathing slowed, and her focus was on Alice. Jasper could tell she was going to show off her strength, he knew she was capable of more than just luring others in.

Jasper didn't notice she was using her ability until her scent had reached him. It pulled him in, dragged him under by his feet, and peeled away his walls until he felt raw. If he had to describe it, he'd say it was like trying to breathe underwater. He knew he was drowning, he knew he wouldn't be able to breathe in the water, and he knew that it would kill him, but he did it anyways. He took in big, painfully sweet gulps of breath, until his lungs were filled. It was like honey down the back of his throat, addicting like whiskey, aged like bourbon.

And he knew that everyone else felt the same way. He felt overwhelming amounts of desire for her, it seemed to crawl down their throats and inhabit them. It scared him how easily they seemed to be hypnotized by her. Jasper watched her and Alice, and he knew that Alice was scared as well. Hida had begun to walk towards her, swaying her hips. They moved constantly, they were always in motion, and it was dangerous to get mesmerized by it. It was as if she were dancing, a dangerous dance that would leave the other person dead. There was something dangerous, something cold and disturbing about the way she moved her hips. The way each leg moved in front of it's proceeding. The way her feet touched the ground and seemed to empower her every step of the way. It was like a snake, slithering its way to your neck, killing you with it's poisonous bite. There was nothing you could go but sit and watch. Alice didn't move, and Jasper knew he wouldn't either if he was in her position.

Once Hida reached Alice, she seemed to dissolve, to disappear. She had drawn her scent back in, made herself untraceable. It was like she was dead, long gone for many years. She had no scent, no heartbeat, no trace of ever having been alive other than the fact that she was standing right there. The thought of her disappearing one day left Jasper feeling desperate for her touch. It made something inside of him churn and boil, to spill over and burn him. He wanted to touch her. He needed to. He would. But he knew he couldn't, that he needed to stay where he was. So he did.

He watched as Hida used Alice's dazed state as a chance to get behind her. She moved with a speed that surprised Jasper, even if it wasn't as fast as he was hoping. She wasn't fast like a vampire, she wasn't even as fast as the wolves. But she was faster than a human, and it made her dangerous. She wouldn't be able to make it if she was surrounded by Newborns, but with her speed and ability she would be able to take out a few. It would be helpful, they needed all the help they could get.. Alice didn't even have time to react by the time Hida had moved behind her and jumped on her back. Her movements were smooth and calculated, Hida knew she would be in trouble if she made a mistake. Her eyes were still focused, they had never moved from Alice. It reminded Jasper of a cat hunting a mouse. Jasper only begun to feel Alice's urgency when it was too late, when Hida had already hooked her arms under and on top of Alice's head. If she had applied strength, if she had really wanted to kill Alice, she could have.

Jasper realized how truly dangerous she was when her heartbeat slowly came back into existence, when her entire existence was guaranteed by the way her breathing beat in their ears and her scent assaulted their noses. The only reason they could sense her was because she wanted them to. As she hopped down from Alice and her beautiful giggle, one that was only deadly to those she wanted to kill, graced his ears, Jasper realized something. As Alice congratulated Hida on being able to pin her, Jaspe realized something.

She could kill him. But she didn't. She could slip by, undetected. But she didn't. It made her dangerous, it made her a threat, it made her an enemy. But Jasper knew he could trust her. For some reason, he knew he could trust her again. It made to sense, it hurt his head, but he did. Because he loved her, because they were mates, he had already forgiven her. And because he had already forgiven her, he had already begun to trust her again. It terrified him how his love for her seemed to toss out all judgement he had. Everything about her was dangerous to him, and Jasper knew that he didn't care.

Others seemed to agree with him, because Edward chuckled and nodded, glancing at the members of his family. Jacob seemed to be impressed. His pack had been experiencing a melting pot of emotions, one that all came to be one; acceptance.

Edward stated, "He says she'll be fighting with us, for sure. His pack seems to accept her."

Jasper knew what this meant, even before he saw the smile on Hida's lips. Even before her giggle had reached his ears. Even before her mouth had opened to drown him in more honey. It was all too sweet.

It meant she was going to die in battle, and that they were going to let her. Her mind had already been made up, and it twisted Jasper's insides. It made him sick.

"Well," Hida beamed, "it's settled."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Pops**

Hello and welcome back. Ahhh, this chapter was hard for me. I didn't quite know where I wanted it to go, but I think now I do. When I write these chapters, I sit down and make sure to have an end goal set and just… write until I get there. It gets muddled sometimes, but I just rewrite it until I get there.

Thank you to those who commented. It makes me so happy that you guys think my story is good, and it makes me nearly explode when you think my writing is good. The reviews is what keeps this story alive, I think.

Speaking of which! Momo, I agree with you. Jasper is very wishy washy, but he's portrayed that way because he was like that in the novels. At least, that's how I felt he was. His love was something that was always very secure, but so was his dedication to his family. So, if both of those things were threatened by each other, I figured maybe that'd be cause for his swaying opinion. I must admit though, that I'm just going with the flow of how I believe he would react at this point. This chapter will sort things out a bit better, though. Promise.

You ready to meet her pops? Yeah you are.

(EDIT: I apologize. In the last chapter I said that THIS chapter would be crazy, but it's more of a filler. The NEXT one will be crazy. Promise.)

* * *

Hida was a complete idiot. She wasn't the first to admit it, but she didn't have to be because she already knew it.

She knew she was dying. She had been there when her mother was dying, she had seen the signs. Her mother's body had been the first to give out. Her mother had always been a plump woman, had always seemed to carry just a little extra meat on her bones, it's what had made her that much more appealing to those around her. In her final days, her mother had lost her curves, lost the extra meat along with the meat that kept her alive. Her mother was skin and bones in the end, and Hida hated it. She hated it because her mother was still beautiful. The sweet scent she emitted seemed to hang on her, grapple her bones and made her seem elegant; even in death. It permeated whatever room she inhabited, clung to the walls. Even after her mother died, her scent seemed to stain the walls of her room, her bed, her hairbrush. Everything.

Her mother didn't smell like Hida did, she was not as sickeningly sweet as the honey Hida produced. Her mother smelled of cinnamon, a flavor that was the opposite of Hida's honey. It was not smooth, it did not drag people down to the bottom of the ocean like her honey did. Her mother's cinnamon attacked, assaulted those around her, until they were forced to look at her. It set them ablaze when they inhaled it, set a fire in their lungs. The fire would spread to their nerves, make every touch painfully pleasurable. Her mother was a strong woman even in her final days, and the elegance and grace her scent provided seemed to make her falsified strength believable.

When her scent had run wild, confined her to her bed in her closed off room, then her mind began to go. Her mind had left and ran to someplace else, someplace that wasn't the bed she was dying in. Hida remembered trying to talk to her, trying to make a connection with the empty shell, trying to talk to something that wasn't her mother anymore. She was only met with slight smiles, and in the last few days, only blank stares. Her mother had left her far before she had actually died, and Hida was thankful for that. It meant that she was brought relief when she died, that she passed peacefully.

Hida hated her mother for a while after she had passed. She was angry that her mother left her. Angry that her mother didn't teach her everything there was to know about herself. Angry that her mother had left her with her father. Angry that her mother would never get to see her progress in life. After a month or two, she was no longer angry at her mother. She understood that her mother did what she thought she had to, that she had made up her mind, that she had loved Hida even if she left her. She did not feel sad about it anymore, as the years had passed. Rather, she felt happy for her mother. She was free. Free from having to feed on others, free from her father, free from that small room and the bed she seemed to be shackled to.

Hida understood why her mother gave up. Because she was in the same boat as her mother at the moment. Because she wasn't feeding, it was hard for her to keep up. Hida's body felt like it was chained to the Earth, she had problems finding the energy to move. It was hard to keep her bones from falling apart, she could feel her existence nearly slipping. She was nowhere near as bad as her mother had been, but she was tired. Bone tired. Tired in her heart. Tired in her soul. It dragged her down, but she pushed herself to move, to speak, to think. To live. She needed to prove to herself that she could survive without feeding. She needed to prove to the Cullens that she could be trusted. It was morbid to think, but Hida laughed at the thought that dying made her feel proud.

Hida stared down at the tray of food in front of her. She could eat food, and it would sustain her for a bit, but her body was still lacking it's proper nutrition. She sat with the Cullens at lunch, where Bella and herself were the only ones who ate. She ate all the time, she ate everything she saw, she ate foods that were so high in fats and protein she felt like she would combust. And still, she lost weight. Because she wasn't feeding, her bones had begun to prick the surface of her skin. It was barely noticeable under her clothes, although her change in style was enough to at least cause Alice some concern. She found herself wearing Rosalie's sweater, the one Emmett had told her that Rosalie stole from him when Hida had asked him, over a shirt she didn't really care about. Paired with jeans and random sneakers, that had become her daily outfit.

Despite wearing the same thing every day, her appeal to others only seemed to increase thanks to her scent. She was like her mother, they were both like flowers. The more she wilted, the sweeter she smelled, and the sicker she became. Even though she accepted the fact that she might die, her body had not. Her body's natural response was to try and find food as quickly as possible, and that meant her scent was running rampant. She could see the stares she was getting from those who were affected by it around her. Their eyes all fell on her, travelled the curves of her body, took in the fake brightness in her eyes, bit at her lips.

She was a complete idiot. She was dying, she was having trouble controlling her powers, and she had plans to face an entire Newborn army with people that didn't seem to trust her anymore. Even so, she looked at the person who called her name, the southern drawl that caused her insides to melt. Even so, she still smiled at the person who seemed to be as madly in love with her as she was with him.

"Jasper." She mocked his accent, watching the smirk that formed on his perfect lips because of it. "What do you want, hm?"

She didn't know when, she didn't know why, but Jasper had slowly begun to close the distance with her. It began with stealing glances, wandering eyes catching his and then retreating back to the ground. It made her feel like she was a twelve year old again, back when she couldn't even look in anyone's eyes, let alone someone she liked. She could see it in his eyes that he had made a choice, though she couldn't understand what the choice was or why it was made. She didn't understand, but she was glad to have him came the smiles, the beautiful expressions that came with them, and the words that fell from his beautiful lips. They were perfect, dipped in southern charm and hospitality. Alice had told her once that Jasper was simply a 'good southern gentleman,' and Hida knew that was the truth. It was the gentle "how are you"s and "good morning"s that lead to the deeper conversations, and eventually extended to touches. She was ecstatic to have his touch back, to have him grace her skin again. She didn't care if she bursted into flames or melted into nothing, she loved the feeling of him. It's what grounded her, kept her safe, told her that he wasn't going to leave her anymore.

So, here she was, holding hands with someone that seemed to have come back to her. Hida wasn't used to people coming back after they left her, but she was thankful that he did. Hida didn't know what he was fighting himself over, but she was thankful that he seemed to have resolved it, and that he came back to her. He accepted her, it seemed, and that thought always made her heart turn to mush. It made her feel warm, wholesome.

"Are you doin' alright, sugar?" Jasper placed a hand on her cheek, asking a question he already knew the answer to. The answer was no. "You're warmer than usual."

Hida smiled at the new nickname Jasper had given her, 'sugar.' It was sweet, to match her scent she imagined. He had picked it up while they were training, and Hida was sure that it just stuck with him. The Jasper she knew called her 'darlin' most of the time, but the old Jasper, Major Jasper, had taken to calling her 'sugar' in that deep southern voice of his. Hida knew the difference between the two. It wasn't like it was a whole new Jasper, there were only slight changes in his stance and voice. His personality stayed the same, it was only intensified. She liked the Major too, he made her feel safe even if he was much more intimidating than the Jasper of this time period.

Hida would have usually blamed her being warmer because of the things his accent did to her body, but she knew she was past the point of making excuses. Jasper knew, Alice knew, the Cullens knew; even Bella seemed to have an inkling. Even Jacob and his dogs knew. She was sick, she was dying, but she had to abstain from feeding to keep a low profile. She didn't want to risk getting caught or somehow put everyone in danger. Hida didn't trust herself not to mess up, she feared she would lose herself because she hadn't been feeding. Besides, she decided that she would prove to the Cullens that they could trust her. They were all she had, and all that Jasper had too, so she didn't want to let it all go to waste. She needed to prove to them that she could do it. She needed to prove to herself that she could do it.

She decided, after Jasper came back to her, that she wouldn't die. She knew there was a possibility, yes. She knew that in her state, she could be killed easily. She knew that she was dying. But because she wanted to be with Jasper, she decided that she needed to live. She wouldn't live for him, no, but she would live because she wanted to live beside him. She would live for herself, so that she could exist by his side. It was a strange feeling, one that left her floating in that space that took up her mind. It was strange to want to live so badly, even if she was letting herself die. But this was the choice she made.

Hida smiled at Jasper, turning her head to kiss the palm of his hand. It was cold against her skin, against her lips, but it still ignited all her nerves at once. Burned her, set her on fire. "I'll be fine, Jasper. I promise I'm not going to die on you."

"Are you sure?" Jasper didn't know if she truly meant that.

"Yes." She lied.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want any water, or something to eat?"

Hida smiled at Esme, shaking her head. Esme seemed to hold love for Hida, though she knew that was simply just a part of Esme's kind nature. She seemed to always express hospitality, even if she didn't trust the person.

"No thank you. I'm fine." Hida didn't want Esme to worry about her, even if it was justified. Even if it gave her hope of the Cullens accepting her.

Esme looked like she wanted to say something, but was interrupted when Jasper handing Hida her phone, informing her, "Your father said he is on his way. He should be here in a few minutes, darlin'."

Hida scowled, even as she let Jasper's arms wrap around her and pull her into his lap. She curled up against him, his cold body felt nice against her burning skin. Cooled her. "Jasper, I told you not to call him."

"I know. That's why I did it." Hida didn't need to hear the chuckle in his throat, she could feel it in his chest where it started. It vibrated and hollowed. He rubbed her arm gentle, causing her skin to break out in brilliant goosebumps. He knew it was helping her. "There's something wrong."

Hida knew there was something wrong. Sure, she was dying, but she shouldn't have been dying as fast as she was. The only reason she was at the Cullen's house was because she had fainted earlier. It started as a fever, then it developed into a headache. Her whole body felt warm, and her scent had become so overwhelming that even Alice had said something to her.

"Hey. You smell… delicious." She remembered Alice saying. She had looked up to see Alice standing there, a frown adorning her usually graceful features. It didn't suit her. "Not that it's a bad thing, it's just become… overbearing. You're drawing too much attention to yourself an-... Are you alright..?"

Hida would have said she was alright, but she could barely hear Alice over the pounding in her head. The last thing she remembered was Alice's eyes going wide before she had apparently passed out. It was more embarrassing than anything since Alice was the one that had carried her out of the classroom after she passed out. If there weren't already rumors that her, Jasper, and Alice were all three in a relationship before, there were now. Hida didn't mind the rumors, she liked freaking people out.

Alice had brought her back to their house, Jasper soon following suit after word had got out. Eventually, the rest of their family had come home as well, after Edward had read Alice's mind and contacted everyone. Part of them coming home so quickly was also apparently due to the way Jasper had taken the liberty of making more than enough anxious phone calls to Carlisle even though he was at work. Hida had woken up by the time Carlisle was able to leave the hospital and head home, and she had apologized for Jasper freaking out. Besides, there wasn't anything Carlisle could do. They already knew what the problem was, and how to fix it, and they already all knew that Hida wouldn't let them even if they wanted her to. Hida could tell that they didn't want her to feed, so she wouldn't; even if they for some reason asked her to, she still would refuse it.

When Emmett and Rosalie got back from wherever they had run off to together, Hida was pleasantly surprised to see that Rosalie had somewhat grown concerned about her. She knew that Jasper didn't like how protective Rosalie had grown to be towards her, but she appreciated the fact that she at least wasn't trying to kill her anymore. She still glared at her and made snide comments, but that was reasonably so, seeing as how Hida was still on thin ice with everyone. Emmett played a big part in Rosalie warming up to her, he seemed to make Rosalie calmer than even Jasper could. It was the mate thing, she had figured. She knew she felt the same around Jasper.

Hida lifted her head in order to look into Jasper's eyes, and she didn't like what she saw. There was the love and affection that had seemed to come back, and she was thankful for that, but she didn't like the fact that their golden hue was gone. His eyes had become a dark brown, not yet black. Hida knew it meant that he hadn't fed in a while, and she knew it meant that being around her was hard for Jasper to do. She felt guilty sitting in his lap, especially with her scent trying to cling to everything that gave it attention. It would take more for a vampire to fall for her, but Hida knew it was still hard for Jasper because he was new to the 'vegetarian' lifestyle. At times, she could see the pain it caused him. It showed in the way his jaw clenched, and the way his eyes squinted and followed her stiffly. Even as he smiled at her and rubbed her back, he seemed to be in pain. She didn't want to cause him pain.

It was for this reason that she hadn't yet called her dad and told him not to come. As the minutes passed and the deafening silence made her ears ring, she tried to keep calm even with the thought of him pressing her mind. He had to know something. He would be able to help, and Hida knew there would be a cost to it. Hida laid her head once again against Jasper's chest and waited. She tried to keep her emotions in tact, so that her heart would not race and give away her fear.

But as she heard the familiar truck door slam, and feet trudging against gravel, her heart stopped. Jasper stopped rubbing her back and seemed to tense up, and all eyes fell against her skin. They could tell. As much as she didn't want them to, she knew everyone could tell how scared she was. It emitted from her just as much as her scent did, and it nearly drowned out everything else in the room.

She tried to reign in her scent, to make it disappear so that no one could see how truly terrified she was, but it didn't work. As her emotions grew and swelled within her, her scent desperately clung to the walls and the ceiling. It ran around with her fear, mixing into a dangerous drink that was forced down her throat, one that made her sicker than she was.

Soon, she didn't need to reign in her scent because it was forced out. It was dominated by her father's own scent, threatened into leaving the room as he turned the doorknob and walked in. His scent was nonexistent when he wanted it to be, just like his heartbeat. It was masked, hidden.

She turned her head to see her father walk into the room, a shiver running down her spine at the smile on his face. It was fake, like the rest of him. It hid things. Things that terrified her into making herself as small as possible in Jasper's lap.

His eyes landed on Hida, and his smile grew wider, coaxed her fear into swelling, bursting in her mind. He spoke in a voice that was so smooth it chilled her to the bone. Even her own named sounded like a death sentence falling from his lips.

"Hida."

It was her father, the thing that terrified her the most.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: The Devil**

Wow, seems like a lot of you guys are starting to really dislike Jasper. It's kind of funny, really, because I love to see the reactions. It's interesting to see how people react differently, whether it be to the fact that Hida is dying, or the fact that Jasper is letting her die.

Momo, your comments kill me every time. I agree with you, the Cullens do indeed suck. Don't even worry about it, Hida's dad is gonna come in to mess everything up.

Speaking of which, are you excited to meet him? I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I want him to be portrayed. Keep in mind that he drinks, and he gets violent when he does so. Because he may not be portrayed the same way you might have imagined him.

Let's get on with it! Time to meet the devil, eh? (he's not ACTUALLY the devil, i promise.)

* * *

Emmett did not get easily intimidated.

He had always been someone who was strong and independant, even in his human life. That's one of the reasons why him and Rosalie worked so well together; they were both independent and could take care of themselves just as much as they could take care of each other. Rosalie had always said she felt safe around Emmett because of his strength and his fireball personality. He was the strongest in the family, one might even say that his overwhelming strength might be his ability. He was nearly as strong as a Newborn, and because of that fact Emmett did not seem to fear anything. He hardly ever felt threatened because his cocky attitude led him to believe that he could simply punch his way through any problem. Emmett was an 'act now think later' type of person, always acting on his own impulses; doing what he thought was right. It was something Jasper always found admirable about him, though it sometimes got him and his family into trouble.

This is why Jasper was the most shocked by Emmett, why he couldn't stop staring at him. He hadn't stopped staring at Emmett since Hida's father had walking into the room. Jasper had never, not once in the time he had been with the Cullens, felt such an outpour of fear from him, it was like it was filling him up, drowning him from the inside out. Jasper knew that if he could, Emmett probably would have been sweating. It was alarming that someone that possessed such strength could display the kind of fear an animal felt when they came in contact with a predator. For once, Emmett seemed to be the prey of something much larger than him. The fear and nervousness mixed together into something that Jasper knew would make him sick, and showed that the man standing before them was not a force to be reckoned with. He alluded them all, just as Hida did.

Jasper glanced at Edward, but he could already tell by the way his jaw clenched and his eyes never left the man that Edward couldn't get a read on him. Jasper wasn't as surprised to see that no one seemed to be able to get a grip on the man standing before them. He was Hida's father, after all. Jasper couldn't sense any emotions from him, just like he couldn't with Hida. It made him wonder if he could sense her father's emotions at all; since he could only sense Hida's emotions when she wanted him to, and even then it was only when they were intense.

What Jasper did find strange, however, was the fact that he could no longer sense Hida. When her father walked in, it seemed to have placed a cloak over the both of them. It was like his presence forced hers into hiding, removed her from the room, locked her up somewhere far away from the reach of anyone but him. Even though his presence had shoved hers from the room, his own was still not traceable. It terrified Jasper that even though Hida was still shaking in his lap, even though she was so close to him that he could wrap his arms around her, she had been completely erased. He couldn't hear her heartbeat, the same one that he was sure could lull him to sleep if he could still do that. He couldn't hear her breathing, the same breaths that ran across his skin and had him teetering on the edge of self-control every time it did. He couldn't smell her scent, the same one that had been running rampant and clung to him, begging him to bury himself in her. It was terrifying that she could seem so far away at the expense of the man that was standing just across the room, and it was a thought that made Jasper pull Hida closer to his body.

"I'm glad you could make it." Carlisle was the first to speak, and even he seemed to be hesitant as he extended a hand to Hida's father. "My name is Carlisle, it's nice to finally make your acquaintance."

The man simply looked at Carlisle's hand, then up to his face. His eyes were barren and dead, they held no promise of life in them. It was shiver inducing. He spoke, taking off the large hat he had worn to keep the rain out of his eyes. "I already know who you and your are, Doctor Carlisle." A not so welcoming grin fell upon his ghostly face, and Jasper noticed the goosebumps that broke out over Hida's skin when he did. "I assume you want to know my name? It's Martin."

Carlisle looked at the Martin's clothes and extended a smile, even though he withdrew his hand back to his side, asking, "After Martin Luther?"

Martin chuckled, shaking his head, placing his hat under his arm at his side. His laugh was dead and bone-chilling, it hung in the air and stabbed their ears. "No. After Father Martin Adolf Bormann." No one laughed at his morbid joke.

It was because of this that Jasper realized what he was wearing. He was wearing the robes that a Catholic priest would wear, a cassock. It was black, and all the buttons were left buttoned except for the top and bottom two. It gave Jasper a bad feeling, seeing such a crooked person wearing the garments of a holy man; it was bittersweet irony that Jasper couldn't help but feel strange swallowing. He gave off the same scent he had the time he picked Hida up from school, one that was heavy with gasoline and cigarettes. It was mixed with the scent of some time of chemical Jasper couldn't remember because he was too busy watching Martin walk over to the chair that sat across from him and Hida. As he sat down, Jasper realized that the scent was not his, but it was simply the way his clothes smelled. The cigarettes and gasoline clung to his clothes, and it occurred to Jasper that the man sitting across from his did not have a scent at all.

"You're a priest?" Esme smiled, offering more hospitality. Jasper knew it was in her nature to do so, but he still couldn't help the aggravation he felt when she did. "What church do you attend?"

"I'm not a priest, sweetheart." Martin smirked, and Jasper tense up. He was talking down to Esme and it made Jasper want to rip his throat out. He watched as Martin set his hat on the arm of the chair, crossing his legs. His shoes were dress shoes, the kind that hadn't been shined in years. "I work with the dead, at the funeral home in town. I'm a mortician, the clothes are simply a preference. I find the irony… amusing."

Esme's lips came together to form a tight smile, hiding the obvious annoyance that Jasper didn't need to use his ability to feel. She mumbled something about going to get snacks, an excuse to get out of the room. Jasper wanted to leave, but something told him that Hida wouldn't let him. She hadn't looked at Martin since he came in, but he could see the affect he had on her. Just before her emotions had become unreachable, he could feel the overwhelming terror that shot out of her body. It was like it was screaming, yelling at them to stay away from her father, warning them on the things he did. It clawed at them, urging them to run away. Even so, he knew that Hida couldn't leave the room, couldn't run away. She couldn't leave because her father didn't want her to.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room, told everyone to stay where they were in fear of disrupting it. The emotions Jasper could pick up were all the same. Anger, hesitation, fear, anxiety. They danced around everyone in the room, taking their turns in possessing each of them. Once it was inside them, it caused their eyes to dart around and their bodies to tense up, their minds to run wild with scenarios. Jasper wasn't free from this possession either, and he knew Hida could tell by the way she gripped his shirt when his body tensed. He found it morbidly funny that the man wearing priest's robes was meant to exorcise their demons, but he himself seemed to resemble one. Jasper could see the small smile on Edward's face when he thought about it, and the slight break in his anxiety brought relief to Jasper.

Jasper looked at Carlisle, who once again had broken the silence, this time with a cough and another warm smile. "So, Martin. I assume you're wondering why my son called you. I'm sorry if we might have caused any inconvenience to-"

"That's your problem, Doctor." The smile Martin wore reminded Jasper of the devil. "You assume too much. I know you've been around for a long time, but you'll do well to not assume things anymore. I wonder how many patients have found themselves in my office due to your assuming?"

Jasper realized that the chemical scent that came from Martin's clothes was probably the scent of embalming fluid. The silence returned, but this time it was livid. It was seething with anger, most of which was from Rosalie. Carlisle seemed to be taken aback by Martin's blunt attitude, though it made Jasper realize where Hida got her equally as blunt attitude from. There were similarities between the two of them, as sick as it made Jasper to admit that. He was sure Hida hated the parts of her body that were from her father, too.

Her father was a tall man, taller than Jasper. Jasper was the tallest one in his family, standing at 6'3" he was only a bit taller than Emmett, but Martin was a few inches taller than him still. His skin was only slightly more pigmented than Jasper and his family's skin, something he figured was probably caused by the man's job. Despite this, light brown freckles were scattered across his cheeks lightly, something him and Hida seemed to have in common. Jasper was glad to see that his eyes did not resemble Hida's own eyes at all, since that was one of the aspects of Hida that he loved the most. Martin's eyes were a black so cold that it reminded Jasper of his own eyes when he had neglected to feed. They seemed even darker against his skin, and dead as they stared lazily at Carlisle. His hair was another thing he shared with Hida, it was the same color. The waves in his hair made Jasper think of dangerous waves that crashed into the shore, the kind that killed people; dragged them out to sea and drowned them.

Martin readjusted himself, uncrossing and crossing his legs again, shifting only slightly. He was graceful with his movements, though they did not seem like the moment's of a dancer they way they did on Alice. They seemed like the deadly movements of an eel. When he spoke, Jasper noticed the way his voice sounded like a ghost, a poltergeist, a specter. It was dead, floating in the air, but somehow deeply disturbing. The more he spoke, the more threatening he seemed. "No, I can assure you I know far more than you'd like to think, Doctor."

"I think you're the one who's assuming things now, Martin." There was an agitation in Carlisle's voice that Jasper had never heard. It betrayed the smile on his face.

There was another chuckle from Martin, though it was an octave lower, more menacing. It made Hida shiver. "Oh, am I?" He licked his lips, and Jasper was almost surprised to see that his tongue wasn't that of a serpents. "I can assure you that I am much older than you and your family, Carlisle. I've lived countless lives like you have, for hundreds of years longer than you. Same soul, same memories, just different bodies. You shouldn't speak down to someone with far greater intelligence, son. I can also assure you that I know exactly what you and your family are, the kind of murderous monsters-"

"Dad." Hida spoke softly, softer than Jasper had ever heard her speak. It was odd to him. She was the kind of person to yell and speak with confidence, it was if she lost that part of her around her father. No, more like he stole it from her.

At that, Carlisle took his chance to speak, saying, "Then maybe you can assist us in finding out what's wrong with Hida. That's what we called you out here for."

"Oh come on, Doctor. You know what's wrong with my daughter. You should, at least. Being a doctor and all, it'd be bad if you didn't." Martin nodded his head in Hida's direction, continuing, "You're all killing my daughter, that's what's wrong with her."

Jasper couldn't keep the growl that had been growing in his chest from rolling out of his mouth, though he didn't try very hard in the first place. Martin looked at him, that sinister grin forever stuck on his face. He seemed amused, as he replied to Jasper's growl by stating, "You must be Jasper."

Martin laughed, shaking his head. "Of course you're Jasper. So, you're the one who's killing my daughter, right? The one that told her to stop eating, huh? You know, I've got a few words for you." He glanced around the room, grinning. "All of you, really. Carlisle," he said, looking at Carlisle. Jasper could see the way Carlisle tensed. "you know know what I find the most ironic out of this entire situation? The fact that you lost trust in my daughter. She's a liar, sure, but aren't you guys lying as well?"

He shifted, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch, his hand coming to hold up his chin. The grin was only becoming the harbinger of more malice. "You're lying to friends, coworkers, everyone in town. And you've been doing so for years now, haven't you? Centuries. Decades of lies. Hida wasn't lying to allude everyone like you are, Carlisle. She wasn't lying so she could live comfortably like you and your family are, Doctor. She was lying to keep herself safe. Don't you think that's a bit more justified than the lying you're doing? I think that if you were an intelligent man, Doctor, you'd realize that she is not someone you need to be afraid of. My daughter, as much as I hate it, is an open book. She doesn't do things in order to hurt those around her.

"And yet here you are, forcing her to kill herself. Forcing her to starve. All because you're scared for your safety? All because she told a lie?" He let his head fall back, let his mouth hang open as a laugh erupted. When he calmed down, he let his back lay against the back of the couch, his hands rest in his lap. He stared into Carlisle's eyes, his cheeky grin returning. "That's pathetic, Carlisle. I'd have thought better of you."

There was truth in his words, and it cut into everyone just the way a knife would if they were still human. Their own guilt seemed to stare them in the face, laughed at them. It was shameful, they knew it. Their distrust was justified, even if it was a stupid reason; but they still felt bad about it. Jasper could sense how Alice had been wallowing in guilt the worst, she seemed to drown in it every time she saw Hida. She couldn't say anything to Hida, though. They needed her to stop feeding in order to keep the position they were in. They needed her to stay low, otherwise it would draw more attention from Victoria and the Newborns.

"Don't you think it's wrong, though?" Alice had asked her family a few days after making the decision to keep Hida from feeding. She had looked Jasper in the eyes when she asked, though it was directed at her whole family. "I don't think Hida is a bad person. She didn't lie to us to hurt us, I don't think. So why are we hurting her?" The question had bothered Jasper, but he pushed it to the back of his head. He didn't want to think about it.

The fact that Martin knew who he was seemed to make Hida uncomfortable, as she spoke up, willing her eyes to look at him. "You know that's not true. They're not killing me, this was my own choice. You're being difficult, dad. You know what's wrong, so just please help me fix it." She was desperate. "You're a shaman, you should know about this stuff more than anyone."

Martin tilted his head, humming. He seemed to be debating on whether or not helping Hida was worth his time, a fact that made Jasper's stomach do flips. There was something about his ancient soul that made him more powerful, more of a threat to their existence than anything they had faced. He seemed to know more about the world they lived in than Carlisle did, and that thought horrified the Cullens. Jasper understood why Hida was so scared of him, though he was sure it was for more reasons than that. He was sure it was because of what caused him to bruise her. The memory of her bruises made him angry, it made the Major yell out orders that Jasper knew he couldn't follow. At least, not yet.

"Now, you're telling me I should help the same people that's keeping my daughter from feeding, which is the reason she's dying? You're the ones killing my daughter in the first place, and now you want my help fixing the problem?" He shook his head, a low laugh falling from his lips. It was so graceful, which made it that much more terrifying.

Jasper could feel the anger rising in Rosalie. It was like someone left the water in the kettle boiling, to the point where it was screaming. Her sudden outburst made sense to Jasper, he felt the same way. She growled out her words, her hands resting on her hips. "Shut the fuck up already! Are you going to help or not? Because we can just-"

"I'll help." Martin grinned at Rosalie, though it didn't offer her any comfort. It made her shiver and move closer to Emmett, who was still on edge. Jasper knew better than to let relief take him over, even before Martin had spoken again, saying, "For a price."

Before anyone could ask what the price was, Martin was on his feet, his hands smoothing out his clothes. "I've been alive long enough, fortunately, to know how to go about this situation. Hida needs to consume souls in order to stay alive, just like her mother did. The way she usually goes about this is seducing people and letting vermin off the street accompany her in bed, right? It's disgusting, but the soul of someone in bliss is often said to be the best tasting. It also had the most energy, it allows her to go longer without consuming another soul."

He walked closer to where Jasper and Hida were, and he wasn't ignorant to the way Jasper glared at him. Jasper didn't like where he was going with his speech, he didn't like the way he was avoiding saying what the price Hida would have to pay would be. "There is another way to consume the soul of someone, though it's after they die, and she would have to consume parts of their body in order to do so. Since I'm a mortician, it would be easy to attain the bones of a cadaver in order to make a bone soup or sorts. You're lucky I'm a shaman that knows how to do it correctly. There's a bit more that goes into it than simply making a soup." He chuckled when Hida whimpered, glancing at her. "Believe it or not, soup made from bones is normal in most cultures. Though… they're usually not human. She'd have to consume it everyday, but she wouldn't have to kill anyone since the person would already be dead, and she wouldn't die."

Jasper looked at Hida. He knew she didn't want to do it, a fact that was only reinforced when she turned to him and he could see the look in her eyes. She held fear in her eyes and it became apparent by her obvious hesitation that she already knew what the price she'd have to pay would be. Jasper frowned, staring back at her. Was she really willing to die instead of eat soup? He was confused, he'd do anything to save her. He told her this without words, simply nodding to her, rubbing her arm. He didn't care the price, he wanted her to live no matter what. He was being selfish and he knew it. Hida knew it too, but she smiled at him. It made him feel guilty, but they were out of options, they both knew it. If they wanted to stay low, but keep Hida alive, then they had to do this. Right?

"Hida." Esme had come back into the room a while ago, but Jasper didn't notice it. She smiled when Hida looked at her, telling her, "It's your choice. Your decision. You don't have to if you don't want to." Esme knew this was a lie. She knew it was something Hida had to do, something that she would do.

"What's the price?" Edward asked, his eyes having never left Martin. Jasper could feel the pure hate he held for the man, it was something Jasper personally related to. There was no argument that Martin was evil, that he was sinister beyond belief. He didn't know how Hida was born from such a cruel man.

Before Martin could answer, Hida spoke softly, her voice holding something that broke Jasper. It held submission, like he had given up. She had been defeated. "I'd have to form a contract with him. I'd have to… bind myself to him. Like my mother. He and I would become bound."

"Knowing this, do you choose to continue? Deal?" Martin grinned, he seemed excited. Jasper knew he was getting off on the suffering Hida would have to endure.

Jasper looked at Hida, who had already made her decision on the matter. Jasper had no idea what kind of troubles it would put them through, he didn't even know why Hida seemed so defeated. But at least she'd be alive, she'd be there with him. That was all that mattered to Jasper, and he knew that was all that mattered to Hida as well. Whatever happened, they'd be able to make it through together. Right?

"Deal."


	12. INTERMISSION

p style="text-align: center;"Intermission Time!/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"So, guys... I need a little bit of a break from writing. I will post the next chapter next week some time, but until then I need a break. I will start writing again in a few days. I have almost no motivation to write lately, so I don't want to write anything that might come out bad if I force myself to write. Writing for me is something that's fun, I don't want it to become a chore. Plus, I'm writing another story as well. So I'm a bit busy. But I will get back to it, I promise!/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"That being said, I wanted to tell you that Chapter 12 is going to be... crazy. It's gonna be packed with resolutions to old conflicts, and new conflicts that stand in their place. It's going to be the longest and most crazy chapter yet. More of Hida and her character development. More of Jasper and his selfish love. More of Martin and his crazy antics, not to mention the details behind his deals. Not to mention... new characters. New characters and more trouble than Hida needs, honestly. You guys are either going to love me or hate me after that chapter comes out./p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"Also! I plan to write a separate chapter to talk about things that you guys have commented on and questioned about. So stay tuned for that!/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"Finally, I want you guys to head on over to my profile and take the poll that I made! It will determine how the story will end. I have a bunch of endings in mind, and I love them all, but I couldn't decide how I wanted the story to end. So, I need your help to decide!/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"The new chapter, Chapter 12, is called "Her Mistake." Only a few days away! Stay tuned!/p  
p style="text-align: center;"Thank you!/p 


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Fleating

Ahhh, listen. I know this is late. I knowwwww most of you are going to hate me because it's late. That's okay, I hate me, too. I procrastinated, and then we got a new pet and I've been dealing with him and ahhhhhhh. Those are just excuses, though. I need to get my ASS i R.

And so, here we are. Chapter 12. Oh boy. I loved writing this chapter. So far, I think it's my favorite? Mostly because I get the chance to write a sex scene? Even if it's terrible and sad? Like… yes? This is great? Anyways. Enjoy.

* * *

"It's okay."

It wasn't okay.

"Hida, I don't-"

"Don't worry, Jasper." Hida smiled at him, a conniving smile that was almost to sweet to be true. That's because it wasn't true at all. "You're not going to hurt me. I promise."

That was a lie. Hida found herself lying often these days. She lied to Alice, she lied to Jasper, and she lied to herself. As she slid his hands back onto her hips, she couldn't help but shudder. Not because his hands were cold against her bare skin, or because the dead air around her did nothing to help warm her naked frame, but because she was dying.

No, she wasn't dying on the outside anymore. Her father fed her the soup made of bones every day, for lunch and dinner. Even though it made her vomit, even though she swore it felt like she was doing something that would land her in Hell quicker than she would like, it kept her strong. She could function again, she could be herself again, even if it wasn't really "herself". She had regained her figure, something she was reminded of when Jasper's hand slid around and grabbed the soft flesh of her ass. She had more energy now, that much was obvious in the way her legs twitched eagerly at the thought of being wrapped around Jasper's waist again. Hida had even regained control over her scent, though that might not have been so obvious by the way Jasper looked at her. He was hungry, for both her blood and her body.

Jasper reminded her more of a lion than ever when he looked at her with those eyes. He was thirsty for her blood, something she was aware of when she found herself climbing into his lap. He was hungry for her body, and she raised the intensity of her sweet scent because of it. She loved seeing the emotions in his eyes, the way he fought with himself. At first, the fight was strong, he was struggling to fall for her temptations. But then she'd touch him, run her fingers along his collarbone, kiss his lips gingerly. She'd play a dangerous game and Jasper would look. Suddenly, the fight in his eyes would disappear and his lips would find their way to her body. It would ignite flames, build fires that wouldn't easily put out. She was glad Alice had finally given up on stopping them, even if it was simply a distraction.

Between kisses that bruised her lips and left her nerves on fire, Hida could swear that she was still dying. She could feel the way his hands pulled her closer and laid her back on the bed, the way his gentle fingertips would still leave bruises on her sweet skin. She could feel his soft hair between clenched fists, fists that tugged and ravaged his skin. She could hear the breaths that escaped her swollen lips, the moans that fueled the hunger that Jaspe was displaying through hickeys that littered her neck. She could see the way his perfect lips looked as they formed around her nipples, the way his eyes looked up to meet hers when he bit at them. She could taste the blood on her lip when she bit it too hard, distracted by the way his fingers seemed to dance around her sensative clitorois, never giving her enough; always leaving her on edge.

She could feel all these things, see them, hear them, taste them. She relished in them, relished in the way his cold fingers felt when they slipped between her slick folds, the way they seemed to cool down her burning core. She nearly fell apart at the way his fingers moved inside her, weak to the expert way they always seemed to hit the one spot that had her arching her back and curling her toes in a bliss that almost seemed to never end. The way she died a thousand times when his breath rolled across her sensitive bud before his tongue flicked over it, leaving her a mess. The way Jasper was able to somehow completely wreck her, almost push her over the edge, before pulling away and leaving her aching for more.

She felt all these sensations, all the feelings of someone who was living in that moment. And still, she was dying. While Jasper was grabbing her thighs, while Hida was distracting him with breathy noises she couldn't stop, while they both lost themselves in the way she wrapped so tightly around Jaspe as he buried himself inside of her, Hida was dying on the inside.

How could something she loved so much hurt her? The thought swarmed her mind, buzzed and stung her other thoughts; killed them until it was the only thing she would think about. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he grunted and she groaned. His hips moved at a speed Hida knew probably wasn't human, and Jasper ravaged her body in a way that was almost beast like. He bit down hard on her neck as she drug nails down his back, the both of them falling into something they knew was probably just as sinful as the way it felt. They were on fire, fueling each other the longer they held each other, letting the flames consume them the way they seemed to consume each other. They were burning, and soon they'd both explode like a supernova. It was dangerous, but Hida didn't mind. She invited the risk, provoked the lion. She allowed herself to submit to him completely, even if it was all a lie.

The sex was a lie. Even as her voice tricked him, left her lips in gasps and honey dipped screams. Even if he let her drink her blood that was hot like lava, forever flowing and nerve damaging. Even as his hands left bruises and her nails tried to leave scratches. Even when they both reached their climax again and again and again, even as they seemed to rekindle the flames over and over until there was nothing left, even as they lay there wrapped around one another, Hida knew it was a lie. She stared up at the ceiling, thankful that Jasper couldn't read her thoughts as he lay on top of her, letting her play with his honey hair. She knew that the sex between them was a distraction, something to get her mind off the pain that she was in.

She didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Jasper was the one hurting her. No one wanted to admit that the person they loved the most was killing them. But she did. Hida knew that Jasper was hurting her, and she knew that it wasn't right. Love wasn't something that was supposed to be so constantly painful, her mother had taught her that much. Love wasn't something that was supposed to allow one person to be selfish and leave the other to suffer. But that's exactly what Jasper was doing to her. And Hida didn't like it.

She closed her eyes and decided to focus on her breathing, taking in a deep breath and releasing it softly. She didn't have to open her eyes to know it made Jasper's hair move; the way it tickled her nose was enough evidence. She could feel every part of him as he laid there on top of her. Usually she didn't mind it, she loved to play with his hair and draw designs on his marble skin. Recently, however, she felt like she was being trapped beneath him. Jasper was hurting her, and Hida knew that it was a fact they both were aware of. He had made her bind herself to her father. To Martin. To the Devil himself, practically. She didn't understand why he did this, but that was just another lie she told herself in order to avoid the fact that Jasper was hurting her. She didn't understand why he was choosing to hurt her, and at first she hadn't even realized he was. She didn't realize how she had lost herself because of him. She didn't mind if he was protecting her, but it was no longer protecting her. It was selfish acts, and Hida wasn't even sure if they were out of love anymore.

She couldn't handle it any longer. She loved Jasper, but she couldn't love someone that was hurting her. She wouldn't allow herself to love someone that put her through pain. Her mother had taught her to love herself, and she would certainly shed tears if she saw the situation Hida had allowed herself to fall into. Hida opened her eyes, turning her head to look away from Jasper in favor of staring at the wall. The only noise in the room was the sound of her breathing, the sound of her heart beating. It sounded like it was weeping, like it was broken, and Hida knew that was a truth she'd have to face.

Somewhere along the line, she had gotten so wrapped up in the idea of love that she had completely lost herself. She let Jasper turn her into something that she didn't want to become. She was more of a monster now than when she was actually killing people.

"Are you okay…?" She didn't realize Jasper had been trying to talk to her.

She looked at him. She couldn't smile. "Yeah."

She had to change.

* * *

Hida wasn't a demon like her father was. Martin might have been human, but there was no refusing that he was something akin to the Devil like demons were. He did everything he could to cause her issues. He was, at one point, one of the only people who showed her love. Him and her mother were the only two people who loved her in the whole entire world. She didn't know why or when, or even how, but Hida knew that somewhere along the line Martin had stopped loving her.

"Jasper, this is what I want."

"I'm not letting you do this, Hida."

Still, Martin was strange, even to Hida. Every now and then, he'd come to her rescue. He was surely a strange demon, the only one of his kind.

"Jasper," Hida sighed, "I can't keep eating this soup. Do you know how hard it is to eat that, day and night? No. I'm not gonna keep doing it."

She didn't want this to be a big deal, but now everyone was staring at her and Jasper. The wolves, the Cullens, even Martin had started to take interest in their little fight. Their eyes made her sick. It made her skin break out in a rash, goosebumps covered every inch of her arms and legs. She was glad she couldn't read minds like Edward could, but even without that ability she could practically hear their thoughts. They were all confused by her, they all thought she was crazy. They were all disappointed. Well, everyone except for Alice and Martin. Alice knew she wasn't happy, she understood Hida more than anyone. Martin simply seemed entertained.

Jasper stared at her, and behind his hair she could see the twitching of his jaw. He was in pain, he was struggling. "No. Hida, you can't go back to killing people. That would attract too much attention, it would lead the Newborns to us faster than we anticipate." Hida knew that wasn't his problem with her feeding on people. "I've been where you are, Hida. I still am. You don't want to go back to being-"

"Being a what, might I ask you?" Martin questioned, raising his eyebrow. Hida was glad he interrupted, even though she knew what Jasper was going to say. It hurt less coming from Martin's mouth. "Were you going to say… Monster? Oh, please Jasper, that's too bland an insult. I'd expect more from you."

Hida knew that Jasper didn't like her father one bit, and with reason. She watched as Jasper clenched his jaw, a sign that he was angry. Beyond angry, judging by the way Emmett rushed over to Jasper. He offered extra protection from Jasper's wrath by placing a hand on his shoulder, and though Hida couldn't see it, she knew he was able to keep Jasper in place with simply the strength of his grip.

"Martin, stay out of this." Jasper gritted through his teeth. His body was tense, all his muscles seemed ready to pounce on Martin if he needed to. He wanted to, Hida could see it in the way his eyes followed Martin.

Martin unbuttoned the cuffs of his button up shirt, rolling them. He had ditched the cassock and hat during training, and all that remained of his ironic pastor get up was the rosary that hung from his neck. Hida used to find it strange that he wore it, but now she just wondered how he didn't burst into flames when it made contact with his skin. He finished rolling his sleeves and Hida's skin crawled at the sight of the tattoos that adorned his forearms. They were written in a language she was sure no one but her father understood, and sigils seemed to be carved all over. Pictures of creatures she didn't know and writing she was sure was the cause of his evil covered his arms and most of his chest, though they were rarely seen. It reminded her how dangerous he was. Her father was the single most terrifying thing in the entire world to her, and the longer everyone else looked at him, the more they knew why. If it wasn't the way he looked like an animated corpse or the grin that seemed to always find it's home on his crooked lips, it was the way his dead eyes seemed to bore into them or the tattoos that told them they should stay away from him if they wanted to live. He wasn't the Devil, but Hida knew that the Devil himself was probably terrified of him. It was why his soul hadn't been collected and taken to hell yet, she was sure of it.

"Major Jasper, I believe my daughter asked you a question." Martin walked over to the person he was addressing, even if Emmett seemed to be warning him that Jasper was going to tear him to pieces. He hated that Martin called him Major Jasper, and Martin loved to piss him off. "She asked if you have any idea how hard it is to eat the bones of someone who has already… departed. Do you? No?" His signature grin finally appeared as he looked to Hida, asking, "Why don't you go ahead and tell him, Hida?"

Hida knew her father was evil, but he was there for her sometimes; even if he was playing devil's advocate. She looked at Jasper, who seemed to look at her at the same time. Their eyes met, but Hida could tell he didn't seem to understand her reason for going back to feeding on humans. She felt a tugging on her heart, and she knew it was her fault. She was Jasper's mate, she loved him too much to want to hurt him. But she wanted to change. He didn't seem to have any problem hurting her, so she didn't feel bad for following her father's suggestion.

"When I feed off of people, I make them feel good before hand. I sleep with them, I use my scent to make them feel like they're in complete bliss. It's better than any drug, after all." She laughed softly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she did so. Jasper didn't like when she talked about feeding. "It makes their soul last longer, and it makes it easier to take, but it also… makes it easier for me to consume. When we consume souls, you get the person's emotions that they experienced in their last moments of death. So when I feed off someone, I make sure their final moments are pleasant.

"Since I've been consuming the bones of people who died in ways I can't control, it makes it harder. It's more… painful, it's scary." She looked at Jasper, chewing on her lip. She could tell he knew how she felt, but she still asked, "Jasper, do you know how terrifying it is to experience the emotions of someone whose last moments were spent getting crushed in a car accident or getting murdered or… even just having a heart attack? It's incredibly painful."

Martin chuckled at this, and Hida glanced at him. He knew this was going to be the case when he offered the deal, and it seemed that Jasper caught onto that fact when he growled out, "You bastard. You knew this was going to happen! You knew this was going to hurt her!"

"You think I made you make a deal with me? That's now how deals work, I'm afraid. I did give you a choice, you know. I'm sorry son, but you've got just as bad a habit of accusing people as the rest of your family does." Martin replied, his grin only seemed to grown widder. He shrugged, turning his back on Jasper, seeming to address the whole family with his statement this time. "I'm starting to think the only decent bloodsucker in this group is Alice. She's the only one who seems to really understand what's going on here, after all."

"Dad." Hida looked at him. Her voice was threatening, and she knew it. She didn't want him to talk about it now, she didn't want to dive into this conversation yet.

Jasper sensed it and looked at Hida, asking, "What is he talking about, Hida?"

Before Hida could answer, Martin took pleasure in talking for her. Hida couldn't decide if she was aggravated at her father for explaining, or relieved that she didn't have to do it herself. "You know, something tells me you aren't as oblivious as you seem, Major. I think you know what I mean." He gestured towards the rest of the Cullens, laughing softly. "I think you all know what I mean. Hasn't Alice mentioned it to you before?"

Hida looked at Alice, who seemed to dislike the fact that all eyes were now on her. Even so, she spoke with confidence, stating, "I did. I told you all how I felt about how we were treating Hida. She's not harmful, not to us or herself. We were the ones harming her, not the other way around." There was a malice in her voice that Hida didn't hear too often. Alice looked at Jasper, her eyes narrowing when they met his. "Jasper, you're as much to blame as the rest of us. Probably even more so."

"What?" Emmett was struggling to keep a hold on Jasper, whose jaw was now clenched so tight that every word that somehow managed to escape was a growl. His fists had wrapped around Emmett's wrist and Hida couldn't tell if it was to keep himself from getting away or if he was trying to get out of his grip. "What are you talking about? I could never hurt Hida. I love her, I want to protect her. Why would I ever hurt her?"

"Jasper." Hida understood now. Jasper was in denial. He knew she was hurting her, that much she could tell when he met her eyes. She had to make him face his problems, just as she did hers. Even if he didn't want to. "You know that's not true. You made me stop eating, you were the one that told me I couldn't feed anymore. You were the one who called my father, and you were the one who made a deal with him. Jasper, you made me bind myself with not only someone other than you, but to my own father. You… you have no idea how fucked up it is having to bend to his every will."

She lifted up the sweater she was wearing, the one she had stolen from Jasper's closet. It was big, far too big on her, and soft. It smelled like him, too. It made her feel safe, even if it was something that reminded her how much he hurt her. She lifted it to her chin but kept the sides of it down so that it covered her nipples, since she never wore a bra under her sweaters. She pointed out the sigil that had become engraved into the soft flesh in between her breasts, on her sternum. Tears stung her eyes when she thought about how she got that mark, but her voice was unwavering. It was confident as it accused Jasper, "You've seen this before. You had to have seen before, Jasper. I know you've seen it plenty of times when we fuck. This mark? It means that I'm bound to my father. For life. Do you get how fucked that is? I'll be bound to my father until I die, Jasper. Our souls will forever be bound to each other. That means that no matter how many times my father dies, I'll never get to escape since his soul never goes away. Same soul, different body. Every single damn time, Jasper." Hida knew this information was finally hitting Jasper when his body froze, when his arms fell limp at his side. "And since I'm immortal, I'll have to spend an eternity connected to the worst person alive. This is why my mother let him kill her, Jasper. This is why she stopped eating. She didn't want to be connected to such a foul, vile creature." She let her sweater fall back down and used her sleeve to get rid of the tears in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, she couldn't allow Martin to have that pleasure.

Martin chuckled, humming in disatisfaction. It was eerie enough to make the werewolves growl and lower their stances just a little bit. They understood how terrifying he was. "I have to say, Jasper, I didn't expect you to do something so cruel. It seems like such a big price to pay for a problem that could have been fixed simply by letting my daughter feed, don't you think? Although, I must say…" He looked to Jasper, his hands sliding into the pockets of his dress pants. He was enjoying the pained look that controlled Jasper's features. "I quite enjoy being bound to Hida. She's particularly fun to toy with, she's my main entertainment."

Hida shuddered when Martin stuck out his tongue. Not because it terrified her, and not because of what he said, but because of what was on his tongue. In the middle of his tongue, carved into the wet muscle, was the same sigil that was now carved into the flesh of her sternum. She didn't want to think about how the sigil had gotten there, and she didn't want to see the look on everyone's faces when they realized themselves how it had gotten there. It made her feel sick and she looked down at the ground, just in case her stomach decided to betray her. She felt like vomiting when she heard Martin laugh and Jasper growl.

"You sick bastard!" Hida could hear the grunts that came from Emmett as he tried to hold back Jasper, and she could tell he didn't really want to hold him back. Emmett had grown fond of Hida, so she knew he probably wanted to let Jasper go at him.

Martin's laugh was the next to hit her ears, and it sent shivers down her spine. It was like someone had taken a sledgehammer to her spinal cord, it made her shiver. It was bone chilling, it made her eardrums feel like bursting. It wasn't loud or booming like Emmett's was, but it had the same effect. It was terrifying. Horrific. He spoke and she could hear the smirk in his voice as she did so. "You think I'm sick, huh? I'm sorry, but…"

Hida's whole body reacted and she knew what was happening. Her heartbeat increased, sweat covered Martin was letting his presence be known. It was a warning, a threat telling them now to mess with him. He didn't have a scent, he didn't have a heartbeat, but his presence was enough to make everyone shudder and take a step back. Hida had only been around to see it a few times, but it was why she knew the Devil was scared of her father. His presence was intimidating, so much so that it made the grin on his face seem that much more horrific. It was so oppressive that it made everyone feel like they couldn't move, and Hida felt her breath becoming shallow. It was like Death himself had graced them with his presence, had touched their souls and left them to die. His laughter filled their minds, bounced off their eardrums and pounded in their skulls. His presence was so massive, so overpowering and intense that it left everyone in it's wake feeling like they were going to die. The werewolves whimpered and whined, and as Hida looked over to see if they were okay, she could see their pain. They were lowered to the ground, bowing to the demon before them. The Cullens had stopped moving, even Emmett seemed to be at a loss. They didn't know what to do, except for hunker down and wait for an attack that would never come. They were all crouched, teeth barred and muscles tensed. They were threatened. They finally all understood why Hida was afraid. That they should also be afraid.

Martin smiled, looking over everyone. He was truly evil, but Hida knew that this was simply a taste of how malevolent he really was. "You have no idea just how twisted I can be."

* * *

Hida didn't want to talk about the incident with her father. She knew that the Cullens now understood how it was being bound to him, that Jasper now understood the full depth of his actions. She forgave him after he apologized, and she let him know that she wouldn't let him hurt her anymore.

"Jasper," she had said, "I love you. I'm your mate, so it's hard for me to not love you. But I will not allow you to change me. I won't allow you to hurt me anymore, even if that means that I have to stop being around you. The choice is yours. You can stop hurting me, or I can leave."

Hida looked at Jasper, smiling softly as she watched him talk to his siblings at the lunch table. She was glad he had chosen to realize his mistakes, and was working on being less selfish. She was also working on communicating how she felt, and she felt like she was starting to feel like herself again.

She was feeding again, too. Twice a week, she would go out and look for someone to feed off of. She would have Alice run her to another state for a few hours, and when they were done, she'd bring her back. It didn't put any stress on the situation with the Newborns and Victoria, and because Hida could control her scent they couldn't smell Alice. It was a great plan, one that Carlisle himself had suggested. The Cullens had apologized for neglecting Hida after Martin had tore into them, and Hida had forgave them, too. She also let them know that she would have to cut them out of her life if they tried to hurt her again. Jasper didn't like it, but he didn't say anything to Hida about it. She had explained to him that she wasn't a monster, that she was only killing out of necessity. She fed to survive, not because she wanted to. This way, it was pleasant for both her and the person she fed off of. After she had explained it to him, Jasper seemed to be more accepting, though he still didn't like it.

The only thing he complained about, however, was the smell they left on her. He could tell when she slept with someone because afterwards, her scent would be masked with theirs. It was an easy fix, though. Either it would wear off in a few days, or Jasper would replace their scent with his. This was usually done through Jasper leaving kisses and hickeys all over her body, or the route that Hida loved best which was getting carried away and fucking. Sex with Jasper was something that Hida had stopped using as a distraction, it was something she had started to enjoy. She enjoyed the physical aspect, but she also started to love the emotional aspect of it. She had never had sex with someone she loved before, and it was much different than the casual sex she was used to. Jasper enjoyed it as well, even if he always hesitated when he saw the sigil on her chest.

Their relationship was a work in progress. It wasn't perfect, nothing ever was, but it was something that both Hida and Jasper were glad to work on. She was more than ecstatic that Jasper wanted to work on making their relationship healthy again. And Alice seemed to be overjoyed at the fact that her family was making an effort to be more understanding of Hida. Even Rosalie seemed to have warmed up to Hida now.

Hida looked up at Jasper, pulled out of her thoughts when he wrapped an arm around her. She frowned when he saw that he wasn't actually looking at her, but then noticed that Edward was doing the same with Bella. He was hiding her behind him, staring in the same direction as everyone else at the table. Hida followed their eyes and was met with two boys walking into the cafeteria. She didn't even need to see their eyes to know that they weren't human. Their skin was pale, even though one of the two boys was slightly more tan than the other. They both looked as if they were carved from marble, just like the Cullens.

"Vampires?" Hida whispered, glancing up at Jasper for a second before turning her attention back to the boys. There was something familiar about them, but she couldn't place it.

Jasper pulled her tighter to his side, though he didn't hide her behind him like Edward had with Bella. He knew she was capable of protecting herself, as well as controlling her scent around others. "Yes. Alice has been watching them for the past couple of days. They don't seem to be related to Victoria and the Newborns, and they themselves aren't Newborns either. They're not from around here, so we have to be careful. They don't know about our situation with you and Bella." He frowned, trying to watch the boys as they moved about the cafeteria. "It's strange, though… They don't seem to be attacking humans, but they aren't a part of any vegetarian covens like us. We've never seen them before."

Hida looked at Jasper again, grabbing his hand softly. She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb, attempting to calm him down as she directed her attention back to the two vampires. One of them was tall, probably around Jasper's height, and had hair that seemed to be a mess. His hair was darker and fell in his eyes, though it was only down to his jaw. He was the more masculine out of the two, though his eyes seemed soft and he seemed to have a boyish attitude. The other vampire, the shorter blonde one, seemed to be irritated at the other boy. His hair was blonde, so much so that it was nearly white. He was beautiful for a boy, and seemed to be more feminine than most men Hida had met. His features were soft and delicate, and Hida furrowed her eyebrows at the feeling that she had seen him before. He felt familiar.

His eyes flickered up to meet hers and it seemed he felt the same way about her. His eyes went wide and a smile broke through his irritated frown. He dragged the other boy behind him and it took Hida a second to realize that they were headed towards her. She only realized when Edward growled and Emmett straightened up a bit, even Jasper seemed to tense up.

As they drew closer, the blonde boy opened his mouth, calling out, "Hida!"

Hida was confused by this for a moment, but as he reached the table, she realized where she knew him from. Who he was.

"Oli?"


	14. A Brief Update!

A BRIEF UPDATE

Yes! Yes, the story will be continuing. Now that I've said that, I want to talk about a few things./p  
I literally have no excuse for not updating other than lack of motivation, time, and simply not wanting to do it. I felt really unsure about this story and how it was going, and I am sure you guys have seen that in the past few chapters. I feel like my writing has only gotten worse due to lack of direction. That's something I have to work on, and I want to continue working on it as I write the next few chapters of this story.

All that aside, yes the story will be continuing, but not in the same way it was before. Now, there will be a time period in between Jasper and Hida's parts of the stories. There will only be five more chapters to the story, and Chapter 13 will start from Jasper's point of view. His point of view will be set at a different time from Hida's point of view, if that makes sense. Don't worry, it'll make more sense once the chapters come out. Pleasssssse don't be made at me.

I also wanted to take this time to answer a few things about the characters. Just give you little tid bits of info about them, I guess.

Hida  
Alright. So, this chick is... well, she's a strange one. She's strong, but she's also wise and she knows her weaknesses. I thought about her while my English class was reading Hamlet. I loved Hamlet because of how dynamic the characters were, and because of how complex they were. I don't think I did a good job at showing her to be nearly as complex as Hamlet, Shakespeare was certainly a talented writer even if he did steal stories, but I think I'm content with her the way I wrote her. She loves Jasper, that's a no brainer, but she realized that their relationship had gotten to be unhealthy, and I think that's an important feature of her. See, I have always hated Bella and Edward's relationship because they put each other on a pedestal. They think of each other as gods, and that's not healthy. I didn't want Hida to think of Jasper in that way, so I tired to show her beginning to go down that path, only to realize that shew as better than that. I wanted to show how she realized that her love for Jasper was something that was harming her, and that she knew she needed to change it. I hope you all saw that. Otherwise, the relationship would have gotten more toxic and probably would have turned abusing. Trust me, I've been in an abusive relationship and it does all it can to break your spirit. I didn't want Hida to have her spirit broken. She's too strong for that.

Jasper

This duuuude. Listen, I know that some people hate this dude. I get it, I paint him to be very unlikeable. He's possessive and dangerous, all the things that could put Hida at risk. I mean, the dude made her starve herself, even though he could have solved the issue by not being a prick. Once again, character development. I wanted to show how things could get worse and then get better. Really, I don't like Jasper. I didn't chose to write about him because I liked him, I chose him because his character was so vague that he's fun and easy to play around with. Whether or not you like Jasper is out of my control, it's up to you. I wanted him to be used in order to show the bad side of love, I suppose. The side that isn't love at all, it's just selfish possession and control. And through him, I wanted to show how unhealthy that is. Also! Jasper knew that he could just have Alice take Hida to another state to feed, but he was too selfish to do that. He sees himself as a monster, and he didn't want Hida to be a monster who fed on people as well. If that makes any sense.

Martin  
Martin is my dude. Listen, guys, I love this man with all my heart. He's a terrible, shitty person, but at the same time, he's also one of the most logical people alive. He's like the human embodiment of the Devil. He's cunning, wise, smart, and manipulative. Sometimes that is good, and sometimes that is the worst quality about him. I wanted him to be someone that only did things that he wanted to do, that only did things that would affect others. He speaks the truth, even if he is a rude asshole, and I thought that's what this story needed. He's terrible; he's abusive to Hida, he killed her mother because he was selfish, he made Hida bind herself to him, he's rude to everyone he meets. But he's also good; he offered help when no one knew what to do even if it was bas in the end, he told Jasper what the fuck was up, and he let the Cullens know what little bitches they were being. He blurs the lines of what a villain should be, he travels back and forth between good and evil. He's a strange being. A shaman that' evil enough to be the Devil himself, one that's lived longer than humanity itself in different bodies over the years, who also has a weakness to alcohol that makes him violent towards his daughter, the same daughter he also protects from the rest of the world? He's a straaaange dude.

Anyways. Look forward to the next chapters, the last five. I have an ending in mind and I'm sure you're all going t me for it. Trust me, it's gonna be good. It might set us up for a sequel but... we shall see.

Also! After this story is finished, I am going to start a new story. It'll be more... gang related. it will also be set in the same universe, after this story. It will be sometime after Breaking Dawn finishes, and will deal with Alice instead. Oh, and it will also be set in Tokyo. But SHHHH. That's all I'll say for now.

I love you guys and THANK YOU SO MUCH for being so fucking patient with me. I fucking SUCK.


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Memory**

I'm sure you're all dying to know what's up with Jasper and Hida, so… I will try to keep this short. Just remember that Jasper's point of view will now be set at a different time than Hidas. You'll get it once the story moves along. Also, just a warning, Jasper's parts of the story will be a bit shorter, until the very last chapter.

* * *

As the scene before Jasper played out, his mind became overwhelmed.

He did not have time to notice the way his body shuddered, or the way he was stuck to the spot he stood in. He didn't have time to notice the aches and pains that wracked his body because his eyes were fixated on the way her body bursted. They way her chest was ripped through and her blood shed. The way her body went into shock as she fell, unable to realize the blood that soaked through the snow around her fallen knees was her own. She way she screamed when she did realize. She glanced over to him, locking eyes with him, parting her lips to ask for help before her body collided with the ground, never to move again. Still. Silent.

Jasper couldn't find words. He couldn't tell her that she was going to be okay, he couldn't scream to let her know that he was coming to help her. It was like his mind had become numb, only it wasn't still. It became busy. Busy with thoughts and sounds, busy trying to process what was happening before his eyes. Memories exploded in his head, created murals of times he wished he could go back to. Places and things he missed. People and scents he wanted to forever be around. Sounds he wanted to treasure for the rest of his life. Busy trying to think of anything else except for the way her body wasn't moving. The way she seemed to be completely... gone.

The memories his brain found set his mind on fire. It latched onto them, searching them for a time when she was still alive. He remembered lying there, beneath the sheets with her. The way her body curved, the way his hand would slide easily into place on her hip. They seemed to have been made for each other, and he remembered the way she used to say they were perfect puzzle pieces finally put together. Her breathing was like a symphony to his ears, much like her giggles and sighs; her every move was like an orchestra that Jasper loved to hear play. He remembered the way her lips looked so perfect when they smiled, and he remembered the way they widened when he had told her that. He could recall how it felt when she would touch him, when her warm hand would be pressed flat against his chest. Or the way it would set him on fire when it was tangled in his hair or wrapped so tightly around his arm. It was like an endless fire, one that burned with just as much passion as he did for her. Her gentle voice, latent with silky loving and comfort, was permanently etched into his mind. It would sound raspy and deep when she was tired, when she would awaken from slumber in his arms. It would sound loud and bold; something Jasper had learned the second time he met her and once again when he brought her home the first time. But it would also be soft, so gentle and kind, when she'd whisper to him late at night. And he could remember the look in her eyes, the way they blazed against his own. They drank him in, taking him as he was. Her eyes told him that she loved him, told him that he was meant for her.

That was the first to go. Her eyes. Jasper could only watch as they lost their spark, their fire seemed to be put out as they searched the air. They could no longer see, due to the loss of blood and utter shock that wracked her whole body. They were looking for him, even though they would never again see him. And when her body fell to the ground and rolled to face the sky, they were still searching.

Another memory, seared into his brain just as all the others were, now flashed before his eyes. She was sat there, next to him, her hands tracing the scars that littered his arms. Her touch was gentle, so gentle it nearly killed him every time she laid her hands on him. Though the scars were old and faded, they still stood out; especially when he let the sunlight catch his skin like he was at that moment. They didn't shine like the rest of him.

"That's alright." She had said when he mentioned that they didn't shine. She would slide her hand into his own, just the way she always did when she wanted his attention. She knew that all she had to do was touch him. "They're like memories, don't you think? Photographs on our skin, set there to remind us of the events that caused them when we see them." Grabbing his arm, she'd wrap herself up in him, making sure Jasper held her waist tightly. "I'm just glad I can't see most of mine."

She never came to love her scars like she was always telling him to. Jasper looked her body over, now crumpled and scattered on the ground. The wind didn't move, the trees didn't dare breathe as he let his eyes take in her body, roam what remained. Everyone was still, held down by their fear of pushing him over the edge. He was headed there, but they didn't want to be the one to light the fire that causes the water to boil over. His pure fury only worsened when he took in the full sight of the person he now had nothing but memories of to live with.

Her freckles did not shine bright like galaxies across her cheeks like they used to, for they had since been covered in dirt and blood as she fell. Her body no longer curved dramatically, it was contorted in ways that make Jasper's heart plummet and twist in on itself. Her hair, once full of life like a jungle atop her head, was now matted,, frozen to the snow beneath her, and stuck to her cheeks; cheeks which no longer had the beautiful blush he remembered them to once hold. Her lungs no longer breathed life into her and her heart was no longer beating, they no longer created an orchestra for him to enjoy; only this time, it was not by her choice that it was masked. Instead, her chest bloomed for all to see after it had been ripped open. Her lipstick no longer stayed on her beautiful lips; instead it smeared across her chin the same way the blood did and Jasper wondered if that was lipstick at all. Her eyes. Her eyes had lost their light, it was the first to go, but they were forever open. Wide with terror and forever staring into the distance like they used to, although this time was not like the others.

Jasper watched another memory explode behind his eyes and he couldn't help but close them, breathing in the scene.

"...Will you forgive him?" Jasper had asked her, afraid of her silence that followed.

She turned her head, allowed her gaze to get lost in the woods before them. Her silences, no matter how many Jasper had sat through, would always frighten him. It was in those moments that Jasper realized just how much he didn't know about her. That he wished he could somehow peek inside her mind, that he could feel even a fraction of what she was feeling. That she wouldn't hide herself from him. He watched the way her eyelashes moved as her eyes watched the trees, the way her jaw would tighten slightly, the way her breathing seemed to remain calm even when her mind was in a whirlwind. She was searching for an answer, and when goosebumps covered her arms, Jasper knew the answer.

She shook her head, her eyes staying trained on a spot as if it was the only thing keeping her from vanishing into thin air. "No. I don't think I ever will forgive Oli for what he did to me. He doesn't deserve my forgiveness." She looked to Jasper now, and a smile broke out across her lips as she told him, "But I am done holding myself hostage to that part of my life. I won't ever forgive him, but I won't dwell on it any longer than I have. My mother and I grieved over it long enough. Although." she pouted, "now I can't have any kids with you because of that sorry bastard."

Jasper's eyebrow raised the now the same way it did when he asked, "Kids? I thought you said you didn't like kids anyway?"

"You're right," she giggled in response, wrapping an arm round his waist to match his own arm. "I don't."

Jasper never got the chance to understand what she meant, or why she said that. And now, he wouldn't ever get that chance. He opened his eyes once again, still staring at her body, hoping it would move. It did not. His eyes left her body, reluctantly, to meet the eyes of the person that killed her. A fury fell over him, one that he had never felt before. One that turned his cold body hot, one that made the venom in his veins boil, one that made each nerve in his body come alive.

Hate. Pure hate. A deep, murderous hate. That was all Jasper could feel when he looked into his eyes. He hated his person who killed her. He hated this person who stole the only person he ever truly loved away from him. He hated this person that forced her to become memories in his mind, memories that he would have to treasure from now on instead of her. Jasper would not forgive him. He would forever hold him for his sins, just like she did.

The Earth seemed to breathe again when Jasper moved. He felt the wind dare to bellow against his skin as he sprinted towards the man to killed her. He could hear the trees whisper and shiver in his wake, scared of the way he seemed to move faster than normal. The snow beneath his feet seemed tremble when his feet crashed into the ground, running away in hopes that he would keep moving. The whole Earth seemed to quake in resonance with the growl that left his chest, rumbled through the sky and nearly stopped the snow from falling. Even though the Earth seemed to breathe again, the people around him did not. They did not dare to move, all were frozen to the spot as their eyes tried to follow him. The weight of his hate, his pain, his fury, all of it, was keeping them stuck to the very spot they fought in. Only they no longer fought, for the way his rage danced around them seemed to scare them into utter submission. They could only watch as he made his way across the battlefield before him.

Jasper could not keep his malice from seething, from slipping past his lips and permeating the air. The memories that burned him and made him bitter, make his heart weep with nothing but inconceivable bloodlust.

Suddenly, Jasper was gone. Vanished.

All that remained… was The Major.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Old Friends**

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Uh, so it would seem that the new format of the chapters has some people confused, BUT DON'T WORRY. It will make sense after this chapter, and if not then it'll make sense after the next one.

I wanted to address someone really quickly. You guys didn't see the comment because I have not yet moderated it, as I wanted to address it before I do so. So, to the person who said that they hate my story and "refuse to continue reading this bull," I have a few words.

One of the reasons you said you disliked my story was because you said I didn't put a trigger warning up at the top on Chapter 5, where Hida talked about her accident with Oli. In fact, you asked if it was "too hard" to put one on there. Well, I did, actually. I put one right at the top. If you actually read the top, the author's note some people might call it, I put a warning that said, and I quote, "I want to say that if you are sensitive to sexual assault or traumatic situations, please be warned. I'm sorry if I make anyone upset!" So, I DID actually warn you, you probably just didn't read it. I'm sorry if you got upset because of it, but I DID warn you. Please do not say that I didn't, because triggering someone is something that I take very seriously. Thank you.

Another thing is that you said you refuse to keep reading my story. Well if you refuse to read it, fine, but please do not call it "bull" or "bullshit," as it is something I have worked very hard on. If you don't like it, fine. Then just stop reading it? There was no need for that comment. Constructive criticism is always welcome and sometimes very needed, but simply rude comments are something no one needs.

ANYWAYS. There was another person that asked why Hida lied to the girl in Chapter 3 about knowing the guy she slept with had a girlfriend. My answer to that is that Hida simply isn't your average person. She does things that she knows is wrong and she says things that sometimes she means and sometimes she doesn't. She knew that, either answer she gave the girl, she was going to still be pissed at Hida. So she went with the better choice. Stilllll got punched, though.

Let's get on with the story, shall we? Sorry for that little rant.

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There were only a handful of things that Hida had ever been scared of in her entire life.

Her father. She was terrified of him for obvious reasons, even thinking about him was enough to get her heart racing and her blood running cold. Dark nights was another one; she had always been terrified of sleeping alone in the dark, and when she was little her mother would often go and sleep with her. She had gotten over that fear for the most part, although now she had Jasper to help her get through the nights. He would often sneak over to her house while her father was out and stay with her until she fell asleep, or she would stay over at his house.

Jasper. He was someone who terrified her. Not him himself, but the way she loved him. She was terrified of how much she loved him, because she'd never loved anyone the way she did him. Love, romantic love at least, was a foreign concept to her and always had. She was terrified of loving him, but she was also scared that she would lose him one day. That he would just be gone one day, like her mother. Hida didn't want to have to go through the pain of slowly watching someone go away again like she did with her mother. Jasper always reassured her that he wasn't going anywhere, but the thought of it never lost her mind.

Still, looking into the eyes of her old friend, she decided that he would be added to the list of things that she was scared of. Ophelia would be the third person to enter the list, though he was the first person to ever hurt her. She didn't think she would see him ever again, and yet here he was.

Hida had to steel herself, she feared she would simply disappear if she didn't, so she grabbed Jasper's hand and held it as tight as she could. It wouldn't hurt him, she knew that, so she took the opportunity to squeeze until her knuckles turned white. Until she felt like she wouldn't disappear, until she felt like Ophelia's eyes weren't suffocating her. Though she knew that Ophelia was a vampire who had lived longer than Jasper, fought more battles than Jasper, seen more death than Jasper, Hida still felt as though Jasper was the only one in the world who could protect her from Ophelia. The way his large hand wrapped around hers, squeezing it gently as if he too was afraid that she would float away, told her that he knew he was the only one who could give her comfort in that moment.

He was beautiful, like she remembered he was. Ophelia always suited him, for he had always been ungodly beautiful; she remembered asking him if he was always that pretty when they were younger.

"I think so." He had answered her, playing with a leaf on the ground. Hida was overwhelmed by the memory of the river they would always play at as the memory played in her mind. "I can't really remember. It's been so long, but I remember my mother used to always tell me that's why she gave me a girl's name. Because I was pretty, not handsome, she used to tell me."

His eyes were no longer the brilliant crimson she always remembered them to be, but instead had been replaced by a dark brown. Contacts. He was adapting to the more modern way of existing around humans, unlike back then. He would never interact with humans, other than Hida, when they were younger; he would simply hide in the forest. If she wasn't so weary of his presence, she'd have let herself laugh at the time she asked him why he lived in the forest. He told her it had everything he needed to survive, because he didn't need much, and she remembered punching his arm and laughing. Those times were gone. They were gone because she didn't want to remember the good times, the times before the accident. Nostalgia was something that made her sick, made her stop functioning when it crept up on her. It was a dirty liar, one that held people captive for the rest of their lives.

Moments passed. Hours passed, days passed, years passed, all while Hida was stuck in her head. Of course, she knew that it had only been a few moments in the world outside of her head, she couldn't help from filing through years and years of memories in her mind, trying to skip through the parts that made her want to jump up and hug Ophelia, act as if everything was normal. She didn't want to do that, she couldn't do that. So instead, she thought about the memories that made her want to punch him, gut him, scream at him, anything else but hug him. She allowed the hateful seed he had planted in her so long ago to finally grow, its roots taking hold of every memory she could recall. Hida had never really gotten the chance to let him know just how pissed off she was, just how much she hated him.

"Hida," Alice called, freeing Hida from the trap she had created inside her own mind. She wondered how long Alice must have been calling her name. Judging by the looks on everyone's faces, it had been a while. "Do you know these people..?"

Hida glanced at Oli again, her jaw tensing as she loosely bobbed her head up and down. "Y-yes, I do. Well, one of them, anyway. The blonde one is Ophe-"

An irritated whine left the throat of the boy she was talking about as he cut her off, "Hida, you know I hate being called Ophelia. Call me Oli like you-"

"Use to. I used to call you Oli, until you hurt me." She couldn't stop herself, even she could hear the poison in her voice as it escaped her lips. "We are no longer friends if you haven't fucking noticed, Ophelia. So don't act like we are."

Hida didn't need to look over to know why Ophelia's sharp eyes suddenly seemed to bore into Jasper. She could practically feel the grin that must have broken out on Jasper's face in the way he squeezed her hand. She felt more confident with him around, even if she was already confident on her own. His arm found its way to her lower back, offering comfort in the form of the small circles he was now rubbing into her skin. It let her know that he was proud of her for sticking up for herself, that he was there to support her and protect her, no matter what. She would have smiled at the thought, since it meant their relationship was progressing, but she was too busy staring Ophelia down. When his gaze turned back to meet Hida's eyes, he seemed taken aback by what he saw. There was no familiarity in her eyes, she had erased it. She wanted him to know that they were complete strangers, whether he wanted to be or not.

Emmett was always the one to break the ice, Jasper had mentioned to Hida that he didn't like for things to get too tense unless they were going to fight. This was not the time or place to fight, that much was apparent by the way he smiled, saying, "Nice to meet you, Ophelia. I'm Emmett, this is Rosalie." He threw an arm around Rosalie as if to tell Ophelia that she was his. Rosalie didn't seem to retaliate, only pulling herself closer to Emmett as she continued to scowl at Ophelia. "That's my sister Alice over there, and my brother Edward and his girl, Bella."

Edward offered a smile and a nod when Ophelia looked over to him, greeting each other with their eyes. Though Edward was not hostile towards Ophelia, his body was still tense like Jasper's was, and his jaw was still firmly set; locked into position as if he was trying to keep himself from lunging at him. Hida wondered what Edward must have read in Ophelia's mind to make him react that way, for he still didn't move for Bella to introduce herself. He was more protective than usual, and that was certainly saying something.

"And I," Jasper began, drawing Ophelia's attention to himself to give Edward some relief, reaching across the table to give a handshake as he continued, "am Jasper. Hida's boyfriend and mate. Pleasure to meet you, Ophelia."

Ophelia had never been any good at hiding his emotions, and he certainly wasn't getting past anyone now that Jasper was there to read his every mood. Still, Hida didn't need to read mind or influence emotions to tell that Ophelia was getting aggravated by the tension that lingered in their handshake. She could see the way Jasper tightened his hand a bit tighter than normal around his hand, the way Ophelia's smile seemed to be pressed too tightly against his lips.

"A southern sweetheart, huh?" Ophelia asked, his eyebrow raised as he glanced at Hida for a moment. When she didn't seem to be impressed by his joke, he turned his attention back to Jasper. "It's nice to meet you, Jasper; and the rest of you, too. It's nice to make all of your acquaintances. Quite the group you've got here, hm?"

The man standing next to Ophelia cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. He certainly wasn't as pretty as Ophelia, but he had a rugged handsomeness about him that came with being a vampire. His wavy hair seemed to get in his way before he pushed it back behind his ears, and for a moment Hida was reminded of Jacob. She remembered that Bella mentioned he had long hair, very long hair, before he cut it. Said it got in the way of his dog transformations. The man's skin was darker in comparison to everyone at the table, aside from Hida herself. She figured he must have been tanner in his human life, maybe even tanner than her own skin.

"Oh, sorry, how can I be so rude?" Ophelia seemed almost flustered, an emotion Hida hadn't seen from him before. He reached over, gently grabbing the man's hand and intertwining it in his own, glancing back at the table to explain. "This is Arnie. He's still… young, if you catch my drift, but he's got good control so you don't have to worry about him. He's been around humans since his Newborn stage, he's good at handling them. He's my mate."

Hida made eye contact with Arnie and couldn't stop a chill from breathing down her neck. He seemed animalistic by nature, more animalistic than Jasper was. Something in his eyes made her cower, made her shift closer to Jasper in want of safety. He looked to be much older than Ophelia when he was turned, and Hida couldn't help but think about the old western movies her mother would watch while she cleaned. Arnie reminded her of those old cowboys, his rugged looks reminded her of those times and she wondered for a second if he had lived around the same time.

When he spoke, it was in great contrast to Ophelia's own voice. Ophelia's voice was silky, it was small and sharp like a woman's voice. It was like music to those who heard it; sometimes it was loud and deafening, other times it was quiet and unheard. Hida supposed that he had the kind of voice that even she would have found seductive now if he hadn't laid his hands on her back then. Arnie's voice, however, was rough and deep. It reminded Hida of rum, the shitty kind that burned your throat when you drank it too fast. It was wild, much more wild than Jasper's voice, and it matched the look in his eyes in terms of intensity. If Jasper was a lion in Hida's eyes, then Arnie was a tiger.

"Nice to meet ya, folks." Arnie said, tilting his head slightly as if to acknowledge they exist. Though the words he said sounded as if he were supposed to have an accent, he didn't; any trace of a time when he had an accent had been erased. Hida wondered if he forgot it as the years passed while he continued, "It seems as if my partner 'n I have caused ya to be uncomfortable. I apologize."

Alice had been getting aggravated by their presence for a while, and Hida wasn't ignorant to the way her voice sounded a bit less graceful than normal. "You still haven't told us what you're doing here. How do we know you're not just here to fuck us over? How do we know you're not part of Vic-"

"Alice," Edward warned, before looking at Ophelia, "means to say that we've had some… territorial issues as of late. We'd be happy to talk to you, as I'm sure you've come to us with a reason." Edward glanced around the cafeteria before smiling once again at Ophelia. Hida recognized his smile because it was one she'd shown others many times before. It was so sweet it was borderline sickening. "Just not here."

Glancing around, Hida found herself surprised at the amount of people staring. They were staring at Ophelia and Arnie, probably wondering what they were doing there the same way Hida's entire table was. Hida glanced beyond Ophelia, catching the eye of Jessica. From what she understood, Jessica was Bella's friend, but only because she enjoyed gossiping; and who better to gossip about than the girl who was dating one of the Cullens? Especially since she was 'friends' with her and got some of the juicy details from Bella herself. Hida watched as Jessica's venomous lips curled into a smile, watched as she turned to whoever was sat next to her and began to weave a web of lies and rumors with her skillfully deceptive words.

Hida was used to rumors and she ignored the whispers when she walked through the halls, but as she looked to Ophelia, she realized he hadn't yet gotten over his fear of other people talking about him. His eyes darted around and although his face still held a gentle smile, the way Jasper smiled told Hida that his emotions were anything but gentle or calm. Hida remembered the way Ophelia would hide in the forest behind her house to avoid the eyes of the people in her village. Part of the reason he would hide was because he was scared he would frighten the people of the village, the other part was because he was afraid that instead of frightening them, they would stare at him and become violent. She had asked him once why he was so afraid of people staring at him, or people becoming violent; he was a vampire afterall, he could easily run away or knock them out. He wouldn't answer her, and she didn't push it. Hida knew it probably had something to do with an incident in his human life.

Ophelia gripped Arnie's arm tightly, Hida was sure her arm would have broken if that was her, but Arnie simply leaned his head to the side, resting his cheek against the top of Ophelia's head. It was strange to see such a rugged man do such a sweet gesture, and if it weren't for the way his eyes resembled a tiger's eye, Hida would have mistaken him as cute. Arnie spoke for Ophelia, looking to Edward as he did so, "That's fine with us. Where're you thinkin' of meetin' to talk?"

"Our house. After school, you can follow us back to our house." Jasper answered, not without getting a disapproving growl from Rosalie. Hida looked up at Jasper, chewing on her lip. She knew it was the right thing to do, and she knew that Carlisle would do the same thing in this situation, but it still didn't set right with her. Something was off and it had her stomach tied in knots. "It's much more private, I can assure you."

Arnie didn't reply, he simply nodded and glanced over everyone at the table. His eyes passed over her and returned, and Hida was sure for a moment that he was studying her face. Maybe it was out of curiosity, or maybe he was remembering her face, but before she could ask he had already turned to leave. Ophelia clung to them as they left, and Hida watched until they passed through the cafeteria doors.

"He's a tracker." Hida's eyes snapped to Edward, who spoke with urgency. He didn't seem to know why it was urgent, but by the way Jasper tensed up, it was obvious that Edward wholeheartedly believed it was. "Arnie. He's a tracker, and his sights are set on Hida. He didn't seem to want to hunt her, it was like he was… preparing for a hunt. He was remembering her for later."

Rosalie scoffed, throwing her arms up in exasperation before crossing them against her chest, saying,"Great. That's just great. You just invited a fucking tracker into our home. What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Great going, Jasper." Bella spoke, her voice merely a whisper as she laughed softly. Hida had learned a while ago that Bella often laughed when she became nervous.

Hida looked to Jasper, who didn't seem to be concerned. He was no longer tense, and his smile stayed in tact as he informed his family, "It's alright. I didn't detect any malice toward Hida, though I can't say the same for myself." He laughed, his chest vibrating along with the deep noise. Wrapping his arm tighter around Hida, he placed a kiss to her temple before continuing, "Nothing bad is going to happen. I won't let it."

Hida chose to believe those words.


	17. UPDATE!

Hey guys!

Wow it's been forever since I have updated this. I kind of lost motivation for this story, but I actually have good news! I've gotten into writing again, so I plan on continuing this story! I still know exactly what I want to happen and how, it just is gonna take me a while to get around to writing.

However, I promise that I will update it, and that the story WILL have an ending!

I'm sorry to leave you guys hanging like this, but I promise to make it up to you!

Thank you guys!


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